I Saw The End
by shoka
Summary: TrunksPan pairing. Pan's 25 and living in Satan City, working as a teacher. This is a story of her trials as a young woman and how they serve to bring her and Trunks together, in first person perspective.
1. In Which Trunks Knows Nothing About Me

Title: I Saw the End

Author: Shoka-chan

Rating: Pg-13 (*shrugs* I guess)

E-mail: shokachan@aol.com

            Authors notes:  Now for my first piece of Dragonball fanfiction I'm really hoping everyone will be kind in their comments.  If you don't like The Trunks & Pan pairing, then this is probably not the place for you—don't torture yourself (and me) by reading a fic you probably won't like.  If you do like Trunks & Pan then I would love to hear from you!  If you decide my fic sucks then I really would like to hear why, and if you like it I might be inspired to write the next chapter faster!  I will tell you right now there will be little action in this fic.  I realize that because it's DB I should probably incorporate some action into it, but you might as well know that this is first and foremost a romance fic…with some coming-to-terms stuff.  I wanted to be different than most fics so the main thing is that Trunks and Pan _never_ felt for each other in any way other than friendship, and—at the beginning of this fic—still don't.  Don't worry though, the relationship will progress.  Thanks for reading this!

***

            Son Pan.  That's what the nameplate on the door said.  My name.  My hand reached for the doorknob and I noticed it shake.  Regardless, I gripped it, turned the knob, pushed, and looked into the room.

            The lights were off, but the early morning light shone through the window in pale lines of yellow, brushing the desks and floor.  Desks, I thought, shaking my head.  I can't really believe it myself, that I'm a teacher.  Like father like daughter, I suppose.  I always liked little kids, but I'd never had a plan for life after high school.

            I scanned the desks, each in a group of four, twenty desks in all.  I had set up and planned for the year earlier, of course.  I would be teaching twenty second-graders in a matter of minutes.  I really had nothing to do until after the kids arrived, I had already prepared everything.  I sat down in my comfy-roll chair and thought.

            I thought back to when I was fourteen and stuck on that ship with Grandpa and Trunks, looking for the dragonballs, and wondered how I was led here.  I had been a little stubborn when I was a kid—okay, maybe a lot.  I had wanted to be just like dad and grandpa--strong, respected. 

I laid my head down on my arms.  I was a very young and unmarried second grade teacher, how was I supposed to get any respect?  I remembered sitting down in the midst of hundreds of other teenagers—many smarter than me, I'll bet—and taking my high school entrance exams.  I had just begun to realize that fighting didn't pay the bills.  Sure, being Mr. Satan's granddaughter did, but I didn't want my life handed tome on a silver platter.  Maybe I was being stupid.

            I heard noise outside the door and lifted my head to see a mother practically dragging a little boy through my door, his Kool-Aid stained mouth giving off an ungodly rebel yell.  Yup, I decided, I had definitely been stupid. Why hadn't I chosen to teach middle school?

            At 8:20am the bell rang for class to begin, and I stared out at all the children from my five feet, one inch viewpoint.  A boy stood up and walked over to me.  His head almost came to my chin.  I sighed.  Oh yes, I thought, that's why I had chosen to teach this grade, every other kid either needed naptime or was taller than me.

            "Yes?" I asked sweetly.

            "I have to pee!" he responded urgently.

            I should have done flower arrangements.  It's a very respected art, you know.

***

            I got home to my apartment, never wanting to see the alphabet or chalk again, and pushed the button next to the blinking light on my answering machine.

            "Hello, Pan," said the feminine voice.

            "Hello, Grandma," I answered the machine.

            "I got invited to dinner at the Briefs' tonight, and I don't want to go alone, so come with me, okay?  I would take Goten, but…you know how he is-unreachable.  Anyway, call me back; I want to hear about your first day of work, too!  Love you!"

*Beep*

Videl's voice took over the phone.  "Hi dear, it's mom. Call me and tell me about your day when you get in."

*Beep*

"End of messages," came the automated voice.  I sniffed.  

"Gee, aren't I popular?" I muttered.  I looked over at the plate of frozen chicken nuggets I was about to put in the oven, blinked, and snatched up the phone, dialing immediately.

"Hi grandma, it's me, Pan."

Pause

"Oh, it was great, grandma, the children are just great."  Ehh…

Pause

"Yes, that's why I'm calling, I'd love to go with you."

Pause

"No, I'll come pick you up, it's easier."

Pause

"Okay, I'll see you in thirty minutes.  Bye!"

Click

Hmm…I wonder what's for dinner at the Briefs' house?

***

            I pulled up to the front of the huge house and got out of the car.  Grandma and I walked to the front door and I let her ring the bell.  I studied her profile out of the corner of my eye.  She had aged well for someone who had lost her (same) husband numerous times.  Poor grandma.  If I feel this lonely without grandpa, than how does she feel?  She turned towards me and caught me looking.  I blinked and turned slightly red.  She just smiled sadly and turned again as Bulma Briefs opened the door.  Sometimes I think grandma can read my mind.

            The two women embraced and began to chatter excitedly after Bulma had greeted me with a warm hug.  I followed them into the living room. I scanned the room and noticed Bra sprawled out on the couch.  I walked over and sat down beside her.

            "Hey, Bra."

            She smiled at me.  "Hey, Pan.  How was the first day?"

            "Not bad.  How was your day?"

            She grinned wickedly.  "Relaxing." 

            I growled playfully and punched her lightly.  "You suck!"

            "No, I'm perfect.  Somehow I still can't imagine a group of little kids calling you Son-sensei while you teach them the alphabet," she said and laughed.

            I grinned back.  "They're second graders, they already know the alphabet."

            "Whatever you say, Son-sensei."

            I groaned.  "So when do we eat, anyway?  I'm starved!"

            "Whenever 'nii-chan gets here."

            "Trunks is coming?" I asked, a bit surprised.

            She snorted.  "He practically lives here.  I swear, there is no reason for him to have that house of his, he sleeps here most of the time!"  She sighed wistfully.  "It would be nice to have this place to myself."

            I laughed.  "Why don't you get your own place?"

            She thought for a moment. "I'd miss okaa-san and 'tou-san too much," she said seriously.

            I nodded just as Trunks walked into the room, loosening his tie.  At ten years older than me he looked my same age.  Damn half-breed, ageing slower than me… 

            He threw his briefcase down on the ground and sank into a nearby easy chair.  I looked around for grandma and Bulma but didn't see then.  Hmm…they must have gone to the kitchen or something.

            "Trunks no baka, we have a guest," Bra said. 

            He lifted his head and looked at me…for a long time.  It was strange, really. Actually maybe time just slowed down…

            "Oh, hey, Pan," he said, and turned back to the TV.  And just like that the moment was over…but I didn't forget it.  I glanced at him periodically, noticing his eyes following the movements on the TV, while the colors washed over his hair.  His leg swung slightly back and forth over the arm or the chair.  I pulled my eyes back to the TV screen.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw his head turn slightly.  He was looking at me.  I lifted my head slightly higher to be sure I wasn't giving myself a double chin, or something like that.

            "Dinner!" came Bulma's call.  We all jumped up and practically trampled each other to get to the table.

            I sat by grandma and Bra, and across from Trunks.  I shoveled down food in a way that only those fortunate people with saiya-jinn blood can hope to achieve, as I listened to Bulma and Vegeta have a conversation that sounded more like a fight.  Finally Bulma turned to me and smiled, ignoring her husband who looked characteristically pissed.

            "So, Pan, how was your first day at work?"

            Trunks lifted his head.  "Pan started a new job?"

            It was completely silent for a moment. I couldn't believe it!  Did he even know what I had gone to college for?  I must have been giving him a nasty look, because he looked at me strangely, a blush dusting his cheeks.  I shook my head in annoyance and started to eat again without answering.  The moment my fork made a clanging noise against my plate the chatter started again.

            "What do you think your mother's been talking about for the last week, brat?  She's not starting kindergarten, you know!" Vegeta berated his son.  

            "I forgot," Trunks mumbled at his plate.

            "I don't see how, your mother hasn't shut up about it!"  Vegeta made a face and did a whiny imitation of Bulma's voice.  "Oh, goodness, our Panny-chan's all grown up and is starting work!  When did I get so old?  Bitch, Bitch, Bitch!"

            "Vegeta!" growled Bulma, and everything was back to normal.

***

            And that's what plants need to grow," I said to my class.  "I want you to take out your science journals (which predictably consisted of a thin and presumably worn composition book) and copy the words I'm going to write on the board onto the next blank page.  Please use your best handwriting!"

            I began to write 'soil' on the board when a little girl, Kae, raised her hand.

            "Yes?"

            "Are you married?"

            Major facefault here.  Why do kids care so much about that?  I'd been teaching for two months now and my students must have asked that at least seven times.

            "No.  Did you have a question about what you're supposed to do, Kae-chan?"

            "Nope," she chirped and began to painstakingly copy the 'S' I had written on the board.  I scanned the class.  A little boy had his hand raised.

            "Yes, Toru-chan?"

            "Why aren't you married?"

            It was gonna be a long day.

            I left at three thirty, thankfully locking the classroom door behind me.  When I reached my apartment I grabbed a green notice paper out of my mailbox and scanned it as I entered my apartment.

            "Fumigation set for next Monday at eight am.  Yippee," I muttered.  "Stay out for three days!  What the hell kind of poison is that?  What the hell kind of _bugs_ are these?"  I shoved the notice in my back pocket.  Well, great, I thought to myself, now I have to stay with mom and dad or grandma for three days!  Just great!  They live almost an hour away from the school!  I'm gonna be so tired next week, I thought.

            I sighed, resigned to my fate, and began to look through my cupboards for something to eat for dinner. Predictably, I found nothing.  Not even one measly cup of instant ramen (which, I must confess, was what I had been hoping to find—who hasn't felt the pull of the instant meal—"just add water, ready in three minutes").  I grabbed my purse and trudged out the door, smoothing my orange shirt and khaki pants, and headed towards the grocery store.

            I walked straight to the isle with instant ramen and held my basket up to the shelf, ready to sweep the entire stock of chicken flavor into it.  I raised my eyes only to see pork!

            "What the _hell_?"  I really, really hate pork flavor.  There wasn't even any beef or shrimp!  I sighed and pushed the pork in anyway.  Sleep (and laziness) before food, I always say. 

            I glanced outside at the darkening sky and then at my watch.  7:10; the line was long enough to keep me here until eight.  I walked around the store, grabbing various items and throwing them into my basket to waste time.  I was engrossed in reading the squeeze-E cheese label when I walked right into somebody, ramming them with my basket.

            "Oh!  Gosh, I'm so sorry!  I just…" I trailed off as I looked into Trunks' grinning face.

            "Is cheese that interesting?"

            I tossed the bottle into my basket.  "About as interesting as my life." I grumbled.

            Trunks got a far away look in his eyes for a moment.  "A lot more used to go on, especially for our families, didn't it?"

            I laughed nostalgically.  "Sure did.  Sometimes I miss it."  I glanced down into his basket and scowled.  "You took all the chicken flavor ramen!" I exclaimed.

            "Huh?'

            "Here, trade me some," I urged.  He peered into my stash.

            "Not for pork."

            I think I growled a little bit about then.

            "Hey, what's that?" he asked, pointing at my hip.

            I blinked, and then glanced down to see a tuft of lime-green paper sticking out of my rear pocket.  "Nothin.'"

            He reached forward and pulled it out, his fingers brushing my khaki clad thigh.  He skimmed it and handed it back to me.

            "Bugs?" he asked, his voice strangely choked.

            I eyed him suspiciously.  If he laughed I'll kill him, I thought.  "I guess."

            "So whom are you staying with?" he asked.

            I shrugged.  "Dunno.  Maybe mom or grandma.  I just wish they weren't so far away from work."  I paused.  "Hey, why are you buying instant Ramen anyway, Mr. Rich Kid?"

            He shrugged.  "I'm lazy."  This time he paused then began uncertainly.  "You know, I live even closer to the school than you.  Why don't you just stay at my house?"

            "Wow, you know where I work?" I asked sarcastically.  I don't know why but I was still miffed about that night at dinner.  He seemed to know what I was talking about, and blushed slightly.

            "Sorry about that."

            I shrugged, and then considered his suggestion.  Why not?  "If you don't mind I might just take you up on that offer."

            "Sure, I'm not there most of the time anyway."

            I laughed.  "So Bra says."  Suddenly I heard a familiar voice behind me.

            "Mommy, mommy, that's my teacher!"

            I looked up at Trunks.  I'm sure I was sending a 'save me' message.  He grinned and lifted an eyebrow, choosing to ignore it.

            "Is that her husband?" the boy's mother asked, sounding interested.

            Oh, God, no.  Please be kind.

            "Nope, she's not married!"  I almost punched Trunks when he let a small laugh escape his lips.

            "Shut up," I growled under my breath.

            "Let's not bother her while she's talking, okay Toru?" the mother said.  I breathed a sigh of relief as they moved down another isle.  I looked up at Trunks.

            "Shut up," I said as he opened his mouth.  He shut it and grinned widely.  "I'll be at your place Monday night.  If you have a problem with that, call me."

            Wanting to escape talking to Toru and his mother I shoved my basket onto a nearby shelf and got the hell out.  Trunks' laughter followed me to the night air outside the store.

            Needless to say I went without eating that night.


	2. In Which I Wear a Dress, as Usual

Title: I Saw the End: chapter 2

Title:I Saw the End: chapter 2

Author: Shoka

Rating: PG-13

[Shokachan@aol.com][1]

First off I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed!I mean, wow, people liked my story^_^And don't worry about me threatening for reviews—I write for myself mostly and if everyone hated my fic (uh, please don't, though) I'd still write it!I'd also like to say, though, that it takes a while for me to write chapters…this one was quick (for me, at least) because I had already written most of it when chapter1 was posted.The schedule for these things is about one per week, because of my hectic schedule.May is just a crappy month all around, for me.The only time I have to write is late at night.So at around 9:00pm I type up whatever I wrote the night before (at around 10:00), and then go write more of the chapter.Also, I'm going away next week, but I'll try as hard as I can to put up chapter 3 for you on Sunday before I go!June should be much better for writing, though; it's practically empty of things to do!Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed (everyone around me thought I was weird for being so happy ^_^)!Okay, okay, I'm done!

***

The following Monday I had shut many of my meager belongings into big plastic storage bins and left them with my mother so I wouldn't have to wash everything upon the return to my apartment.I had procrastinated about doing this all weekend, so, in the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning, I was up and about.I finally trudged into my classroom at seven-thirty, having been up since—oh, the horror—4:00am.I was already tired and dragging a hefty duffle bag, filled with a few days worth of clothes, behind me.I tossed it into the storage closet and then began to wearily staple math packets together.

I also (of course) had bus duty, which sucked, so naturally I wasn't in the best of moods for the day.The seven hours I actually spent teaching the class were fun for neither the children nor I, as I was quite snappy.I never was a morning person—that Monday I wasn't a day person, either.At three-thirty I walked out to the parking lot and finally was on my way to Trunks' house.All I _really_ wanted to do was sleep in my own bed in my tiny (bug-ridden?) apartment.Of course that was impossible, but ah, such is life.

When I walked up to Trunks' house at a bit before four I found a note taped to the door.

Pan-chan

The guestroom is yours,

feel free to eat whatever.I'll be

home around 5.

Trunks

I was going over the alarm code in my head to be sure I got it right when I opened the door.There was, surprisingly, no problem with code Trunks had relayed to me over the phone when we had talked Saturday night.Unsurprisingly, though, I did have a problem.When I turned the doorknob it jarred in my hand.The door was locked.I'm sure you're saying "well, no problem!Use the key!"To which I would respond, "That's exactly what I would do—had I been in possession of one."I had to crawl through a second story window (flying comes in handy), and then rush my saiya-jin fastest down to the front door so the alarm wouldn't go off long enough the trigger the police.

Warily I opened the front door and pulled in my duffle bag.I was, by this time, too tired to go looking for the guestroom, so I dropped exhaustedly to the couch and fell asleep.

When I awoke it was to look right into a pair of bright blue eyes that were set in a face that was disconcertingly close.I yelped unbecomingly and back-pedaled to the far edge of the couch before I realized who it was.I sniffed and glared nastily at my host as he grinned evilly back at me.

"And just how long did you stay in that position waiting for me to wake up so you could scare the hell outta me?" I asked.

Predictably he didn't answer.Instead he offered a hand to help me off the couch.I considered ignoring itbut for some reason I wanted to see how my hand would fit in his.

"Want some dinner?" he asked.I sniffed the air.

"I don't smell any food," I returned.He raised an eyebrow.

"Did I say _I_ was making dinner?"I eyed him suspiciously.

"You aren't asking me to cook for you are you?"

He laughed."Hell, no.I've eaten your cooking before and have no wish to repeat that experience.I was going to suggest we go out for dinner."

"You paying?"

"Of course."

"I'm in."

***

We went for Italian.It was a nice place and I felt kind of weird, then—as if it were a date, maybe.I kept the feeling at bay by talking about nothing in particular.Trunks kept up his side of the conversation as well as I.It eventually turned to our meeting in the grocery store, which inevitably turned to the state—or rather unstate—of my relationship.

"So you told your students you were single, huh?" he asked with a hint of a smile.

I shrugged uncomfortably. "It came up.What's it matter anyway?"

"Ooh, sore subject with you?" he prodded.

I glared at him for a moment."Not really. Anyway, what would you know about it?"

Again he raised an eyebrow. I hate that.I swiftly dug deeper, trying not to be the center of the conversation.Plus I wanted to watch him squirm."So who's the flavor of the week?" I enquired sweetly.

He shifted in his seat before answering.I smiled."Elizabeth Ferris."

It took a moment to place a face and career with the name.When it came I blinked."The English model?"

He nodded.

"She's younger than me!"

It was his turn to blink.I flushed."Not that that matters, you look my age, anyway," I said, lacing the end of my statement with a bit of jealousy.

He laughed."Pan-chan, you look like you're eighteen, anyway, so don't worry about ageing.A good portion of your blood is saiya-jin."

"I look eighteen?" I asked with a hint of panic."No wonder all the guys I go out with are so immature!"

Trunks pretended to look hurt."Am I really that bad?"

"Hell, yes," I replied with dignity and took a bite of my pasta.

"So what were you sleeping on the couch instead of in the guestroom?" this time he changed the subject.

I groaned and divulged my sob story to him.At it's end he paused in bringing his forkful of linguini to his mouth and looked at me thoughfully.

"I guess I forgot to tell you I put the spare key under the welcome mat."

I contemplated banging my head against the table but, since I might want to go back to that restaurant someday, decided against it.So I just groaned again.

After some post-dinner coffee we went back to his house.It was barely 9:30, but I was dead on my feet.After letting Trunks make fun of me for 'acting like an old lady' I made him lead me to the guestroom so I could sleep.When I stepped into it I found it to be the very same room I had entered into first that day-via the window.How ironic.Gee, I think I can hear fate laughing.

Unexpectedly I didn't go right to sleep.It was probably the unfamiliar bed.Nevertheless unwelcome thoughts filtered through my mind.I thought about Trunks' newest girl after a while.She was tall, I remembered from a _Cosmopolitan_ article (yes, I read _Cosmopolitan_), Five feet, eleven inches.That was actually taller than Trunks.I had always thought guys didn't like that.Blond with green eyes—buxom, too.I compared that to my own stats.Five one with black hair, dark, and an A-cup bra—not, of course, that it mattered.Not all guys went for tall willowy blonds…I snorted and turned over to my other side.I wasn't a great beauty but I had been called pretty.I had grown my hair out and now it fell in a silky wave to the small of my back, and—wonder of wonders—I actually brush it now (gasp).My eyes were a deep blue, almost black, nothing extremely noteworthy, but not fatally ugly.I'm not even a hard-core tomboy any longer. Traces showed through, but that's because that's who I am.I'm a fighter, I'm a girl, and damnit, I thought, I'm tired.I finally realized I liked what I was, and to hell with anyone who didn't.With that I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

***

When I woke up at 6:00am the next day I felt refreshed—and hoped desperately that today would be nothing like yesterday.I took a shower in the guestroom's attached bathroom.After digging through my duffle I pulled out a casual red dress and a pair of white sandals.Another thing about teaching I hated was that where I taught women were required to wear dresses and skirts.In the warm months it wasn't so bad—I had long since gotten over my anti-dress stage, so that wasn't why—but in the winter it was just so cold!I was lucky that it was unseasonably warm that year so I was able to wear my favorite light dresses.

I pulled my heavy mass of hair up and wrapped a band around it a couple times, then let it fall down my back.I traipsed downstairs feeling infinitely better than I had the day before at the same time.When I entered the kitchen I was securing my favorite silver watch around my wrist.I looked up to see Trunks at the tiny table reading a newspaper.I was mildly surprised to see him up so early and in the kitchen rather than the dining room.I set down my briefcase containing all the papers I need to grade and activities I needed to plan. I took the seat beside him and picked up the cereal box.I saw him looking at me and lifted one eyebrow over the other.

"'Cap'n Crunch?'" I questioned with a grin.

He shrugged."Part of a complete breakfast."

"Yes," I answered."_Part_."There's no way I would ever tell him most of my breakfasts consisted of 'Count Chocula' and coffee.

I stood up ad began searching through drawers and cabinets for a bowl and spoon.I had acquired the utensil when I caught him laughing quietly at me.I sighed in mock frustration.

"Little help here?"

"To your left."

I opened the cabinet and pulled a sunshine yellow bowl out.

"Thanks," I said, sitting back down beside him.

"Sure," he answered, and then glanced at me.

"What?" I asked, pouring the already-out milk onto my cereal.

"You're wearing a dress."

"Yes," I said, as if to a particularly slow child."Most women do at one time or another."

"I know," he sighed."But you're… Panny-chan."

I smiled sadly."Yes, I'm Panny-chan."

"I'm only thirty-five.It shouldn't seem like yesterday that you wouldn't touch a dress for love or money."

"At that time neither if those things mattered to me," I answered.

He looked at me steadily."And they do now?"

I paused."Yes, as it matters to all adults, I guess.I believe people need both to live."

"Well then," he said, "you're lucky you have a loving and well off family."

I shook my head."That's not—" enough anymore, I had meant to say, but for some reason I didn't finish.His head almost snapped up as he looked at me again.

"What—" he started, but I didn't feel like talking anymore, so I cut him off.

"Well, I've gotta go to work," I said brusquely."See you later, Trunks!"I smiled thinly and snatched up my briefcase, practically running out the door.

I guess I have to admit it; I was touchy on the subject of my love life.I was a twenty-four year old woman with an apartment and a job.In a word: normal.And so, I wanted a normal relationship.I hadn't had a boyfriend since college.Admittedly that hadn't been so long ago, but still.I don't want to come across as desperate.I _could_ have a boyfriend if I wanted it badly enough, but all the ones I _could_ have I didn't want.I'll admit I'm very picky, but I can't help it.

Also I think I have a problem that is generally attributed to men—a fear of commitment.It's a stumbling block that most women don't have.I'll confess that in all my previous relationships the bulk of the problems laid with me.Soon after I had gotten whom I wanted I lost interest and pulled away.It's my long held belief that when (if?) I find a guy whose phone calls I'll never dodge, and whose presence I'll never tire of, then he's the one.

When I thought back to my first conversation of the day during the kid's library time it was with a mixture of amusement and confusion.I still didn't know what exactly we had been talking about, but my reaction had been almost funny.I had cut and run like my heels were on fire.When I laughed at myself it was with a hint of irony.

For the first time all year I told the school I was going out for lunch.They really had no problem with it, since I didn't have lunch duty (the pain, the pain).I just felt like eating out, among people, yet alone.I wanted to sit at a table and listen to the other people around me or just think.I stopped at a fast food joint not far from the school and spoiled myself with a cheeseburger and greasy fries.When I was finished eating I still had a substantial amount of time left over, so I decided to buy my dinner for the night—I couldn't mooch off Trunks forever.

I went to the same grocery store where I had run into Trunks the week before and gathered my dinner items into my basket.It was the middle of the day so I didn't have to wait for long lines.I leaned on the checkout counter and read the tabloids as the cashier pushed my instant ramen and soda over the register.Suddenly my eyes caught on a heading.

"Excuse me, ma'am, your total is seven thirty-two," the cashier said.

My eyes must have been as wide as saucers when I turned to her.She blinked in confusion.

I pulled '_Japan's Scandals Daily_' off of the rack and tossed it to her."I'll take this, too."I said, holding laughter back.This was _rich_.

She looked down at it, then up at me, pointing to a picture."Hey, isn't that-?"

"Yes," I cut her off.

She rung it up and I paid the new amount, and ran out the door.I tossed the grocery bag into my car after pulling the paper out.I leaned against my car and regarded the headline with amusement.

Above a picture of Trunks and I at dinner last night the paper read '#1 Bachelor in Japan Seen With Mystery Woman.'The byline asked 'What Happened to Elizabeth?' 

I grinned wickedly as I whipped out my cell phone.

"I wonder if Trunks knows…"

***

I'm not really sure about this ending…I think it makes Pan out to sound somewhat hysterical, but she's not supposed to be.It is kind of a hanger, isn't it?I'm sorry it's so short, but That's about as much as I could do with this one, unless you wanted to wait longer^_^Anyway, sorry.Please review.By the way I have no clue why I said this was a Romance/Drama, it's much more of a Romance/Comedy right now.*Sigh*Oh well!

   [1]: mailto:Shokachan@aol.com



	3. In Which I Find Myself a Hostage

Title: I Saw the End, chapter 3 (thank God and finally)

Title: I Saw the End, chapter 3 (thank God and finally)

Author: Shoka-chan

Rating: this one?PG-13, at least

06/01

A/N:Sorry, sorry, I am so incredibly sorry!I said give me a week and it took a month and a half, I know, but I'm really bad at keeping schedules for things.I'll even tell you my problem, if it helps.You see, when I ended chapter two I had done something that I hadn't realized.As per my thought, I sort of painted myself into a corner.Yep, I had major writers block and didn't know where to go.I still dunno where this came from.Anyway, chapter 3 is finally here, folks.I was thinking about how I was gonna end this story today (the _whole_ thing, not this chapter) and seriously considered doing a not so happy one that could actually go with the actual ending to the series…but then I decided that idea sucked and besides, a lot of people would wring my neck if I didn't end it happily…eh.Anyway there's a tad bit 'o' action in this one _and_ a lil' bit of sweetness.Maybe it'll satisfy some people's tastes…maybe it'll whet appetites, who knows?Drop me a line or write a review.I love hearing from people, it makes my day…week…month.^_^

***

As it so happens I didn't get through to Trunks.Did I fail to mention that his secretary was a gorgon?She-quote-"absolutely positively couldn't let me speak to Trunks at that time."My free time had also run out so I had to make a mad dash back to the school in my car.I got through the last three hours of the day with anticipation filling me.I'll admit it, yes, I am evil, and I get a kick out of seeing people's reactions.

I'm sure _you'll_ be disappointed to know that _I_ was disappointed.Trunks got home around five thirty and I grinned at him mischievously as soon as he walked through the door.I halfheartedly hid the paper behind my back.He took glance look at me and gave me a playfully suspicious look.

"What is it, Panny-chan?"I smiled even more broadly.

"Nothin,'" I answered, whistling innocently.

"Oh, no, it's something," Trunks said, and tried to peer around my back.I turned towards him to foil his plan."What," he asked, "are you hiding?"

I merely grinned even more as he reached behind my back, quick as a flash.I quickly dodged.He grabbed my waist with one hand and then reached behind me with the other.I was so startled that he actually got the paper

Here it comes, I thought.To my eternal disappointment he just laughed a little and shook his head in amusement.

"They'll print anything these days.Why'd you buy this, Pan?"

I pouted."It was funny!C'mon, you have to admit it!"

He just shook his head again, his lips curved in a smile, the kind you'd give an indulgent child.He looked down at me, his face lit with some comment that he never voiced. Then he seemed frozen.I blinked in confusion, then I realized his arm was still around my waist, and that he knew it, too-had known it for longer than I and hadn't retracted it yet.He brought his other hand up to my face and a warmth burned behind my ribcage.He almost touched my still pouting lower lip.I looked up and my dark eyes clashed with his light ones.Slowly the arm around me drew away, slithering from the curve of my waist, touching me for as long as possible.When it was gone so was he.I looked at the door he had exited out of and wondered if maybe-just maybe-his reaction wasn't disappointing at all.

***

That night was supposed to be my last night there and, other than the paper incident, was unexciting and not worth mentioning.But that next day-oh that day I will remember forever.At one o'clock there was a reptile assembly, and, I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled, but, hey, what's a girl to do?

About ten minutes into the assembly everyone had gotten settled in and the "reptile man" was showing off a long, sleepy looking snake.Suddenly the double door leading outside to the playground swung open, the right one with so much force that it his the wall beside it with a sharp 'crack,' sending tiny flakes of cement and paint flying for a few short feet.The opened doors revealed five men, all dressed in black, but, surprisingly, none had facemasks on.They all carried semi-automatic rifles, a banana clip extending from the bottom of the chamber.I didn't want to think of how many other rounds they had hidden.For a moment I closed my eyes tightly, then opened them in fear.The whole room was silent.I slid protectively closer to my class…my children.

"All right," one of the men exclaimed.A sob burst out of the throats of a fourth grader three rows down and then was quickly suppressed.Smart, Smart child, I thought.Fight it."If you do what we say you wont die, got it?And right now we say shut up!Keep quiet and you'll keep your life."

Silent tears slid down the cheeks of many children, and I heard insuppressible hitches from the throat, heaving sobs from people who had lost the ability to breathe.I took deep, cleansing breaths and looked upward for a moment, caught by the emotion in the room.It flowed through me like a wave, hitting me full force.I had always been susceptible to the feelings of others, I could read emotions very well if I tried, but I usually blocked them because I couldn't help feeling an overwhelming empathy.I was drowned in their emotions.

I brought my head back down; dry faced and took a look around the room.Five men, five guns.Many, many little children.I hated these bastards with a passion.I wondered how long the room would stay quiet, these were only children, what did these fiends expect?What did they want?

"I'm gonna pick me a little helper." The man announced, and I dubbed him the leader-no others had spoken yet.His eyes roamed over the multi-purpose room and I prayed to Dende that he didn't choose a child.He grabbed a third grade teacher, a woman I had come to know and like.She fainted instantly; I didn't blame her one bit.The leader tossed her down in disgust.Again he scanned the room.To my utter and extreme horror his eyes came to rest on _me_.I wasn't far from him, maybe twenty feet or less.He walked over to me and not so gently grabbed my upper arm.

"C'mon, sweetheart, you're mine."

I'm sure my eyes widened to the size of saucers in horror.Still, he pulled me behind him.I could take him, I thought, but I went passively.I didn't know if I could get to all of them quickly enough to stop any attempts at shooting.The others might hurt the children, and I…well I hadn't trained for so long it was pathetic.Why hadn't I kept it up, I wondered.So a threat hadn't come along in years, so what?Another would always rear its ugly head.Why, oh why, hadn't I trained more?What had happened to the girl whose ultimate goal had been to become a super saiya-jin?Life, I thought.Life had happened.

The man pressed something cool and metallic into my palm.I looked down at the thin black cell phone.I then looked up in question and his green eyes caught mine.They were hard and emotionless.I'm sure I made a questioning sound.

"Call the police." He stated.

What?He wanted me to do what? Then I realized something; what good would taking people hostage be if you didn't get something out of it?What he wanted came from the police, I guess.

I called immediately.

"Police, Satan City district," came the greeting.

"Thi-" I cleared my throat."My name is Pan.I'm at-" I paused and looked at the leader.He nodded."At Satan Elementary.I'm a teacher here and we've got a hostage situation going on."As the sentence went on my voice got steadily higher.

"Please tell me what exactly is happening and how you managed to make this call." Came the voice, calming and even.Obviously the woman on the other end could hear me edging towards hysteria.The leader covered the receiver with his hand.

"What did they ask?"

"Th-they want to know what going on and why I was able to make the call."He nodded and uncovered the phone.My heart beat a fearful staccato against my chest, and I swallowed.

"There was an assembly-I work here as-as a teacher"Pan, you idiot, you already said that."And then five men came in with guns-" I halted.Did he want them to know how many men there were?He didn't seem to care, though his eyes were trained steadily on my face."They told me to call," I continued."To tell you that.I guess they want something."

Suddenly he grabbed the phone away and brought it up to his face."What we want is money, and lots of it.One hundred million dollars-cash-by three o'clock this afternoon.We also want a helicopter."He waited for a response for a moment, then spoke again."Well then make it possible."

He paused again.

"You spoke to a hostage."

Pause.

"Then talk to her again, I don't give a damn."

He thrust the phone at me.

"Hello?" I asked, my voice wavering.

"Ms. Pan?"

"Yes?"

"Is there any way you can identify yourself?"

What is she speaking in code or something?I couldn't speak very well under that kind of stress.What did they want from me?Did she not believe me?

"My name is Son Pan, the granddaughter of the man for whom this city is named!Why should I lie?"I asked urgently.Then, horror dawning in my stomach like bats I looked up.The leader was leering at me. I'm sure that to him I looked like dollar signs.Dende help me.

"I wasn't suggesting that ma'am, not at all.We take these kind of situations very seriously." Came the soothing voice."I just needed to learn you last name so we could process this situation.Are you alright, Ms. Son?"

"Fine-I'm okay, but please-"

One again the phone was taken from me, but slowly, calculatingly."Three o'clock today, put the money on the steps outside the assembly room, by the playground.As soon as it's there you leave, or we put these guns to use."He snapped the phone together with a resounding click.

Slowly he pocketed it, and his emerald eyes slid over my body.I turned away and crossed my arms over my chest.Finally he looked away.He walked back over to his group, dragging me behind him.

"It'll be here," he told them."And this is our hostage."

Number 2 leered."Sweet."It was disgusting. I actually considered rolling my eyes.The more I thought about it the more I believed I could take them-all of them-easily.If they took me with them when they left I would take them on when we were alone…

"Oh, it gets better.She's the granddaughter or the illustrious Mr. Satan himself.The only grandchild he has, if I'm not mistaken."He laughed humorlessly as the other men's eyes lit up with greed.

The wait was slow and the fearful hours dragged by.They let me go sit by my children and I gathered comfort from all twenty of their tiny bodies trying to crowd onto my lap.I hugged them all, and collected my courage from my desire to protect them.This was why I'd become a teacher.The desire to be responsible for the skill they would need to live.It went so deep.I knew I complained about it good naturedly, but it was really what I wanted.Maybe, I thought, just maybe I had done it for another reason as well.Deep in my heart I wanted a family.A husband, children, a home, and these kids-well-I thought of them as mine, too.I shook my head.God, I was turning into such a girlie-girl in my old age (laugh). Enough with the self-analyzing shit.

At two fifty the cell phone rang. I guess they traced the call.The money had been placed on the front steps.The leader grunted.

"You better not be planning something stupid.We've got little miss Satan here-"

"Son," I grumbled.

"-And if we get away clean we'll let her live."

Shit.

Slowly the group moved towards the exit, heaving me with them.Before he opened the door the leader pulled me in front of him, his left arm around me securing my place as his shield, his right arm holding a previously unseen handgun to my head.We inched out the doors, my shuffle awkward and impaired by the body behind me.My heart pumped pure terror through my body.I felt my body try to betray me by shaking, but I tried not to show it.My stomach felt empty and knotted, but I still felt queasy.I was saiya-jin, not bullet proof.Especially not at this range, and what if he turned the gun on anyone else?I _did_ feel, however, that if I could punch over five hundred times in one second that I could catch a bullet at a farther range.I began to formulate a plan.

Now that I look back on it I realize some of my plans were better suited to a Kung-Fu movie, and am sufficiently glad I didn't use them. As far as I knew these guys knew nothing about fighting, and this would be an easy fight once everyone else was out of the way.But I digress, as I was saying some of my plans were-uh-a little dramatic.It's not like I was saving the world from the grips of a horrific monster ten times stronger than me, so I decided to go with the easy plan; use speed, and lots of it.Force if then necessary.

I sort of lost touch with my mind about when the doors opened and I was shoved onto the steps with the cold metal pressed against my temple.There were many people outside, many of them cops I'd have bet.I registered the presence of my mother, father, Bulma, Bra, and Trunks immediately.I guess the police had called them.All of them seemed afraid, tense and ready to snap like an over tuned guitar string.Two of those five people also held enough of another emotion that it was almost physical.Dad and Trunks seethed with anger.It seemed to overflow from their essence.Dad held mom close to his body, her hands gripped the white fabric of his shirt so hard that her knuckles were white.Bulma had an arm around her also, but here eyes were on me, just like everybody else's.Trunks had a protective arm wrapped lightly around his sister's shoulders, and tears were streaming down her face.Every one of them realized saiya-jin didn't mean invincible-but they, like me, knew it was synonymous with die-hard and, my personal favorite, kick ass.I winked at them.The leader didn't notice, but looked around with a sour facial expression.

"What the hell is this?Get outta here.Damn cops, don't know what's good for 'em!"

He tightened his arm around me and I winced purely for effect.It might of hurt a human, but I had saiya-jin blood running through my veins.I could take more pressure on my pinky finger.At my wince Trunks jerked forward but I curtly brought my head to the side once.No.He leaned back again and said something to Bra, who nodded slightly and gave me a weak smile.I thought about taking them on right then, but there were still too many people around.

I was led towards the field beyond the playground where a black helicopter had set down.The crowd stayed where it was, the murmurs drifting with the wind in the opposite direction.We stopped not far from it as number two ordered the pilot out with his gun.He then came back over to us, the headphones in hand.I gathered he was to be out new pilot.That was when I decided something.To hell with this.

I sprung into action with a smooth turn and kick to the chin of the leader.I brought my right hand close to my chest then heaved it out in a powerful motion, and imbedded the heel of my hand into another man's neck.Two down.I lifted my as of yet unused leg and jumped off the other, then brought it up also.It seemed sort of like slow motion for me, as it used to.I felt the coiled muscles in my legs spring out as I unbent my knees, throwing my legs in different directions.Four down.I spun to see the last man, his black eyes widened as he saw my intent.Too late.I'm sure the smile I gave him was an animal smile, which a predator gives its prey right before the killing blow, as if to say, "Yes, you played a pretty game, but never had a chance."I hit him in the solar plexus and he bent over in pain.A chop to the back of the neck and he was unconscious.All this had happened in slightly less than two seconds.For a heady moment I was in my element.

Not a shot had been fired, not a word uttered.For a second afterward I stood in triumph by the unconscious men, but then the terror came rushing back, the adrenaline left.I felt drained as worries assaulted me.I felt the emotions of the people around me.It was dissipating, but there was still anxiety about the children, heart wrenchingly so from the parents.There was a constant barrage of "what ifs" coming from my own mind.What if…Slowly I sank to my knees, and stared at the ground.For a moment I was pure saiya-jin, going straight for the kill, what else mattered?But when it was all over I was more human than not.Hot tears sank into the ground for a moment before I realized they were mine.What the hell was I crying for?Stress release, mostly, fear, overkill of emotion.

Suddenly I felt arms around me, lots of people, comforting presences.I looked up into the countenance of my father, and buried my face into his arms as he held me.He supported me while mom held her arms around me on the other side, Bra held my hand and Bulma smoothed my hair, whispering soothing things.For a moment Trunks stood to the side as if paralyzed, but then in a rush came forward wrapping his arms around me and breathing in my hair.For a moment I tucked my head under his chin, then pulled away and gave him a watery smile.

I gave a statement to the police, Trunks' arm around my shoulders and was finishing up as the ambulances were being sent to the hospital carrying the perpetrators.The leader was wheeled right past me, his eyes open and alert again.He caught sight of me and growled.

"I'll get you for this, bitch!"

I started, my body became tense and for some reason I was afraid for a moment, then I felt Trunks' arm around me become tighter, and the air became thicker.

"You try it, you disgusting bastard" he said between clenched teeth "and I'll rip any protruding appendages from your body with my bare hands."

The leader gulped but didn't break eye contact with me until the ambulance doors closed.I blinked with surprise at Trunks' statement.What did he mean by _that_?

He looked down at me and stroked my back."Panny-chan, you're shaking!"

I brought my eyes to look over my body and saw that I was indeed shaking-almost violently.Slowly it dawned on me that my mind and my body were not in tandem.My mind was fine, everything was as it should be but my body was still scared.Who was I kidding?My mind was a mess.I'll bet electric activity jumped two hundred percent.

"Come with me, Panny.You've still got stuff at my house, you're spending the night with me."I looked up into his cerulean eyes and nodded slowly, then thought a moment.

I turned to my parents who knew I had been staying at Trunks' the preceding three days to let them know.They offered to take me home with them, but I felt a need to go on normally, which meant work tomorrow, and if I stayed with them I'd be so far away I'd have to call in sick.

Slowly, with Trunks guiding me, I went back into the school.I gathered my things from my room and lifted my coat.As I left I turned the lock and swung the door behind me.It shut with a soft click.When we got in the car it was beginning to get dark and I realized the talks with the police had taken much longer that I had thought.My watch read seven oh eight.I glanced with no interest at the lights out side the car window-Trunks was driving me home.

When we parked outside Trunks' house and he and I walked together to the front door. I think I was working in automatic pilot.I was tired, so tired.All I wanted was sleep.I refused dinner and was about to tell Trunks I was going to go to bed when it hit me that I had done that-all of that in a dress.A knee length blue dress with two-inch heels.How's that for balance, huh?I began to laugh.For some reason I found that indescribably funny.I couldn't stop and soon tears were running down my cheeks.Trunks looked at me in a concerned way for a moment but then scooped me up into his arms.He carried me to my bedroom, the whole way I was laughing like a maniac, my hands clutching the back of his shirt.He set me down on the bed and covered me, then spoke soothingly to me, his hands rubbing the back of my dress and hair.

He stayed with me.Even as my laughter turned to sobs he stayed with me.

***

Whoo, there you go.I figured I had to make it good because if I didn't I'd have some angry T/P fans after my hide.Now I don't want to hear "I waited a month and a half for this crap?" kay?^_^J/kAnyway, to hell with schedules, I never keep 'em.Please review if you have a minute.Thanks soooo much for reading!


	4. In Which I Fight With Trunks

Title: I Saw the End, chapter four

Title:I Saw the End, chapter four

Author: Shoka-chan

Rating: PG-13

07/01

A/N:Hey!It was speedy this time, wasn't it?I really think that a lot of people missed chapter three for this story because ff.net was having problems…hmm…I hate that.But if you did youget two chapters, so…Anyway, here's a cartload of Drama/angst/etc.Not much humor here, but pan'll get that dry wit back soon^_^

***

The day after the incident school was cancelled-I should have figured- so I could have stayed with my parents the night before, but, truthfully, it didn't matter to me.I had gotten as much sleep at Trunks' as I would have there and Trunks was treating me as if I were about to break.My parents would have been ten times worse.I could just imagine it. "Honey do you want anything?Are you all right?How did you sleep?"I shudder to think of it.

I suppose Trunks had a reason to, though, after last nights "episode."Honestly, I felt fine, or so I thought.I was a bit unsettled, but everything had turned out all right.So the leaders blank green eyes haunted me, and his virulent words ran rivers through my head.I was okay.All I needed, I thought, was a calm, restful day.

By noon I was feeling restive and began to pace and walk around for no reason. Finally Trunks sighed-almost growled, actually.

"Stop that!"

I smiled sheepishly."Sorry.I'm just-" _I _sighed this time, deeply."Just…something.Bored, I guess, but that's not exactly it."

I really couldn't explain what it was.Even now the best word I can come up with is discontent, but that's not exactly it either.

"Well why don't we do something?" he suggested.

I shrugged."Okay, what?"

He thought a moment."Movie?"

I licked my lips."Fine."Why was my heart beating so fast.Why was that fearful feeling from yesterday returning?I shook my head as if to clear it of thoughts, feelings, fear.It was irrational, I thought.

We got to the theatre five minutes before the movie we wanted to see started.I looked around me at the crowd of latecomers surrounding the ticket booth and snack counter.People seemed to close around me.I frantically searched faces, knowing I wouldn't see _him_, but looking anyway.My breathing became fast, shallow, labored.

Trunks looked at me with a mixture of concern and confusion.

"Panny-chan, what's wrong?"

I blinked and breathed easier when I felt his hand on my arm.I forced a smile.

"Nothing.I'm good."

Trunks nodded, his eyes narrow with disbelief, but he accepted the lie anyway."Well," he said slowly, "while I get the tickets ho about you grab us some junk food?"

I nodded and took the twenty he held out to me.I made my way to the snack counter and leisurely perused the candy list.I was about to step in line when a young man collided with me.Automatically we both mumbled apologies and looked at each other.I froze when I saw his eyes. His _green_ eyes.I could feel a horrible pounding in my head, and my stomach pulled itself into a knot. My throat closed up.I was over my head in a maelstrom of fear and I felt myself swirl deeper under the surface.My skin felt cold and my legs were so tense they ached.

Without another word I turned and ran.I knew, _knew_ that it wasn't _him. _They hadn't had the same hair color, didn't look even vaguely alike, but his eye had been green and that was enough to send me running.I knew there was nothing to fear, but for some reason another part of my mind-the one in control- wouldn't listen.I felt my eyes shine over with tears and was horribly embarrassed, but couldn't stop the horribly panic attack.It was mild, as panic attacks go, but so frightening.I just couldn't help myself, though the rational part of my mind was screaming to be heard.

I saw Trunks emerge from the crowd and ran right at him.When I reached him I hadn't slowed down, couldn't, felt for some reason that _he_ was coming after me.I ran smack into him and wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my face into his shoulder.I could feel myself tremble.I also felt it as Trunks wrapped his arms around me.I heard his voice but couldn't concentrate enough to make out the words.

"I want to go home," I whispered raggedly."Home-" My voice gave out on me.

The next thing I knew we were outside and my feet were brushing the sidewalk, but all of my support came from Trunks.Slowly I disattached myself from his neck, and wondered if I looked anything like those silly stuffed animals that you can but at the zoo with Velcro on their hands so you can wear them around your neck.

"Panny?Panny-chan?"I heard his voice seeping into my ears as the panic receded and I looked at him.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

"I-I…" I stopped then and the force of what had happened hit me.My face flamed red and I embarrassed myself even more by bursting into tears of mortification."I'm sorry," I sobbed and then sat on the sidewalk outside the theatre and covered my face with my hands, my body shaking as I tried to keep silent.

I felt his presence as he sat down beside me and then wrapped his arms around me again.He pulled me to his chest and I sobbed softly, my arms trapped between his chest and mine.Finally he picked me up and walked to the car.I kept my face pressed to his shirt, not wanting to know if anybody was witnessing my attack.Stupid, I thought as my tears soaked his shirt.Stupid, stupid, stupid!

He placed me I the passenger side then got in himself.Quickly he maneuvered us out of the parking lot and onto the street.

"I wanna go home," I said again, but in my heart I didn't know what that meant.Where was home?

"Okay," he murmured and reached over from the driver's side to smooth my hair.

"I wanna go home," I repeated tiredly, and closed my eyes.I didn't sleep, though, I just came back to myself.I rubbed at my eyes with a fist like a child, trying to rid myself of tears and the telling redness, but succeeding only in worsening my tear-stained appearance.I looked out the window and noticed we were going back to Trunks' house.

"Can we go to my apartment, please?" I entreated.My voice had shaken at the end of the question and so I took a deep cleansing breath. Trunks glanced at me, worry etched onto his features.

"Pan, I don't think-"

"My apartment, please."I interrupted, not looking at him.

We reached it soon after and Trunks walked me inside. He led me over to the couch and had me sit. He then kneeled in front of me, our hands clasped. He looked so concerned…

"What happened?" he asked.To my horror I felt my eyes fill again.

"Oh, Trunks!"I cried."Something's wrong with me!"With that said I grabbed a hold of him and once again drowned his shirt.

A few minutes later I was sitting at the kitchen table hiccupping, a glass of water in one hand and a tissue in the other.Trunks sat patiently across from me and I steadily avoided his gaze, avoided talking.

"Are you ready to talk to me, Panny-chan?"

No, and I'll probably never be, I thought.

"Yes," I answered and swallowed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I answered quickly, knowing he'd never accept that.

"B-S," he commented."What happened today?"Hard question, kind voice.

"I-I don't know," I said. "This guy bumped into me and when I looked up his-"I stopped, knowing how stupid it would sound.

"His what?" Trunks demanded.I saw anger veiled in his gaze. My eyes widened as I realized he thought the guy had groped me or something.

"His eyes were green," I finished weakly.

"What?" Trunks asked, truly confused.All signs of anger were gone.

"His eyes were green…just…just like yesterday."I closed my eyes and could still feel the cold metal of the gun pressing into my skin, those green eyes calm and level above it, his last acerbic words echoing in my mind.

Silence reigned for a few seconds before Trunks responded.

"The man from yesterday had green eyes?"

I nodded, feeling tears form in my eyes again and hating myself for it.I swiped at them with the tissue.Trunks leaned over and grabbed my hand.

"Pan, why are you afraid?"

I shook my head, afraid that if I spoke I wouldn't be able to hold back my tears.

"I don't know," I choked out.

He smiled reassuringly at me."Pan, you kicked their asses and could do it again.If any of them comes near you your father will kill them._I'll_ kill them, I swear."

I nodded.

"Maybe," he continued, "you should see a doctor."

I sat straight up in my chair.

"I don't need a doctor!"

"Please, just once.You might need help."His eyes pleaded with me.

I ripped my hand away."If you think I'm messed up just say so," I said coldly.

He sighed."I don't think you're messed up, just that you're stressed and you might need help to relax."

"Pills?" I spat at him nastily.

He blinked."No!Just talk to someone, get it off your chest."

I glared at him."I'm fine."

"A doctor can interpret what you feel and tell you how to-"

"I don't need a doctor, Damn it!" I yelled defensively.

"Pan, I'm not saying you're messed up," he said."You were in a hostage situation yesterday, for God's sake!After seeing you with a gun pressed against your head _I_ might need to see a doctor!"

"Well I don't!" I yelled.After a few minutes of silence he stood and walked to the door.Just before he left he turned back to me.

"I'm just worried about you, Panny-chan."

The door closed softly behind him, and for a moment I just stared at it, then placed my face in my hands as hopeless tears began to fall.Once I had that under control I picked up the phone and called my doctor for a psychiatrist recommendation.

***

I went to my appointment the next day.I had gotten one so soon because of my "special circumstances."I met with the doctor just after lunch.She was slightly taller than me and had a kind face.At the end of my visit she summarized her thoughts.

"Ms. Son, I believe that you are suffering from extreme stress, some tension, and possibly a little depression.All in all, after your hostage situation, you're coping normally.I'm going to give you a prescription for a small amount of pill to help you with this.I'm going to suggest you come back for a few more visits and" she smiled lightly, "maybe get a massage."

I smiled back. "Thanks.I really thought I was having a nervous breakdown or a panic attack…something like that."

"You probably came close," she replied, "but I think you'll be fine, now.The anxiety should go away soon, but if it doesn't diminish be sure to tell me."

"Sure," I answered."But I still can't help but feel embarrassed by my fit at the theatre.It was so…irrational."

She gave me a comforting smile."Fear is rarely ruled by rationality."

That statement hit close to home.

After leaving her office I stood by my car, filled with uncertainty.I knew what I had to do, but I balked at the thought. After a few minutes I steeled myself.No one had ever said Son Pan was a coward.

I drove my car over to Trunks,' wondering if he'd be there and hoping he wasn't.When I stood on the porch in front of the door I took a moment to straighten my knee-length red dress, and then rang the bell.The door swung open a few seconds later, revealing a relaxed-looking Trunks.He wore baggy cargo pants and a dark blue T-shirt.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out first thing, then cringed.

He stepped back and gestured through the door."Come on in, Panny."

I held back a sigh of relief. If he called me Panny he wasn't angry.I would have felt better if he'd have called me Panny-chan, though.

I came in and he let me in front of him. I decided to go to the kitchen.It was comforting to me.It was like when I was very young and sat watching my mother or grandmother cook, the sunlight streaming through the window, warming my face.I sat at the antique wooden table and traced the character scars on its surface.

"Pan, I'm sorry, too," he said, sitting in the chair beside mine, though he turned to face me. "It really was none of my business."

"You were worried, I know.You just wanted to help me.I admit I was out of it yesterday."

"Maybe I jumped the gun," he commented, and I grinned at his analogy.For a moment there was silence, then I let out a sigh.

"I saw a psychiatrist this morning."

He looked at me carefully."And?"

"She said what I was going through is normal, under the circumstances."

"Do you feel better?" he inquired.

I paused."Yes…but you helped more than the doctor, I think."

He brushed a lavender lock of hair out of his eyes."Why do you say that?"

I shrugged."You've been there for me, Trunks, more than anyone.I know if I called my parents…my family, or Bra, even, they'd be here in a flash.They'd help however I asked, but you're here anyway."I looked into his eyes and grinned.They were blue, blessed blue.

"I'm glad."The sincerity was evident in his voice.He held my gaze for a moment then stood up and walked to the sink.He pulled a glass from a cabinet about it and then filled it with water.

"Want anything?"

I shook my head and stood."Well, I better be going."

He turned back to me."Why?"

I blushed, having no reason."I dunno."

He grinned."Good grammar, Son-sensei," he teased.

I laughed."Hey is all my stuff still here?"

"Yup, why?"

"I have to take it all back home."Suddenly something hit me and I groaned.

"What?" he asked.

"I packed up all my dishes and stuff so I wouldn't have to wash them after the fumigation!I have to get it from mom and unpack it all!"

He grinned wider and pulled me out the front door."Come on, I'll help you get it all done."

I flashed him another smile and threaded my arm through his."Cool."

***

How's that for Dramatic.Poor Pan, I'm not done with her yet, I'm planning something big for her *sniff*Heartache-but not the kind you're thinking I'm sure.^_^Geez…that was kinda short wasn't it?Sorry, sorry!K, well, I hoped you liked it—please review.

-shoka


	5. In Which I Gain and Lose a Boyfriend

Title: I Saw the End, chapter 5

Title: I Saw the End, chapter 5

Author: Shoka-chan

[dragon@icyspicy.com][1]

A/N:Some humor here, hoorah!Other things, also, like a huge problem/cliffhenger at the end of this chapter.I'm sorry for the two months That this took, but I'm so busy…but I'm sure you don't feel any sympathy, I started this, and I'm gonna finish it ^^

***

"It was a dark and stormy night…okay, okay, it's not stormy, but it _is_ dark!Aren't all nights dark?Oh, never mind.It was a dark night…is that too plain?Lemme try again.Oh, come on, just once more? Please?

"It was a warm dark night…and it was, too, because it was summer.It could have been an _Indian_ summer though, haven't gotten one of those in a while.I remember one Indian summer years back, ninety degrees if it was one, and in the middle of October, too.Wait where was I?Oh yeah…why don't we skip the night thing, okay?"

"Yes, why don't we?"

Goten gave Trunks an annoyed look."Hey, this is my story!"

"No offense but you sound like my grandfather!"

"What?!"

"I remember some twenty years back we had the biggest snowstorm," Trunks said, his voice imitating an aging man's.

"Oh, Shut up!I'm trying my best, you know!"

Trunks sighed."That, Goten, is what scares me. What's next?Once upon a time?"

Goten gave Trunks a dirty look."You can't write either, Mr. Math, so don't give me crap about it!"

"Well who can write?" Trunks asked, flopping down on the couch in annoyance.

"Uh…Gohan?" Goten offered.

Trunks shook his head and looked out the window at the blackness of night."He lives an hour from here, remember…unless you have time to wait?"

Goten grinned guiltily."It's, uh, due tomorrow."

"Due?As in due date?"

"Yup."

"Goten, you're thirty two, what the hell do you have a due date for, anyway?"

"It's a work exercise, Trunks.It's supposed to 'Map the creativity of all NIMco's outstanding employees.'"

"How the hell do you 'map creativity?'" Trunks asked in astonishment.

Goten shrugged."Beats the hell outta me."He groaned and rotated his neck, hearing a satisfying crack."Uugh!I hate these yearly conventions!All this 'there's no I in team' shit makes me want to puke!"

Trunks looked at the one line they had written."So how longs this supposed to be?"

"I have no clue.A page?"

Trunks looked back and forth between the wall and Goten."I think I'm going to go beat my head against that wall," he said pointing.

***

It had been a week since the whole situation-that's what I call it now, the "situation."That includes being taken hostage, my panic attack, my fight with Trunks, and the consequential visit to the doctor.Really the "situation" takes up three days, doesn't it?

Anyway, about a week after my doctor's visit I was sitting in my tiny den-the same room as the kitchen with a different kind of floor, carpet instead of tile, watching TV and going through my purse.As strange as it sounds that is one of my favorite pastimes.If a girl goes through her purse every couple of months (like me) she's bound to find some interesting stuff.Aside from the melted candy, gum wrappers and spilled lotion it's like a treasure hunt, or bashing open a piñata!Okay, so maybe I'm a tad too exuberant about this, but what else was there to do?

And I did find some treasures, too. My library card, lost since November, a couple months back, a twenty-dollar bill, wedged into a previously unseen pocket (that was pretty cool, too…) and, to my surprise, Trunks' house key.I had retrieved the damn thing from under the welcome mat after dinner that first night I stayed at his house because of the fumigation.I looked over the VCR clock (it was actually programmed, imagine that) and saw that it was nearing eight thirty.It was too late to drive over now and give it back to him, I decided.After a few more minutes of watching "When Good Pets go Bad" I decided it wasn't too late.After all, who had made fun of me when I went to bed at 9:30 after that horribly exhausting day?Yup, I was going over.Besides I thought I had left my favorite pair of blue jeans over there, and it would be as good a time as any to get them back.

It was almost nine when I pulled into the driveway and was happy to see the living room light on, even if curtains were blocking my view.Suddenly I realized that he might not be alone…nah, it was Wednesday.Even Trunks had to work tomorrow.I walked through the almost thick blackness to get to the door.I looked around.I let my breath out in a slow stream and watched it freeze in the air and curl away into nothing.I couldn't wait until June and lightening bugs.God, I hated winter.

I knocked on the door and waited a minute before knocking again.I turned back towards the window and leaned back slightly to see better.A male figure walked past the window and then turned and sat down.I rang the doorbell again.Still, no one answered.I shrugged and tried the door.Locked, as usual.Trunks was so paranoid about thieves he locked the door even when he was home.I snorted.As if he couldn't beat the crap out of anyone who broke in while he was there!Again I shrugged.If he hadn't wanted me to use the key he wouldn't have lent it to me.

I unlocked the door and stepped inside.I strained my ears but didn't hear anything…then a male voice and the rustle of paper.I smiled.He was probably doing paper pushing for work.I made my way to the living room doorway and stopped in pleasant shock.Uncle Goten was there!

"Hey, guys!"I said cheerfully.

Both of them jumped in surprise.

"Pan!" Uncle Goten exclaimed!How are you?It's been a while!

I walked over to him and hugged him tightly."I'm good, just had one too many shocks lately, you know?"

He nodded sympathetically."I just heard about the hostage thing from Trunks."

My smile didn't waver."Yeah, it sucked and I was a bit shaken up, but I'm okay now.So what are you guys up to?"

"Goten has to write some stupid story so they can 'map his creativity' at work, and we're trying to think of someone who can…" Trunks trailed off as he locked eyes with Goten.They both grinned mischievously and nodded.

"Oh, Panny-chan?"Trunks asked sweetly.

"What do you want, _Toran-chan_?" I asked with obviously false sugary sweetness.

"I need your help, my favorite niece," Goten said with a pleading smile.

"Uncle Goten, I'm your only niece."

"Please?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine.So what is the plot of your story?"

Goten and Trunks blinked."Plot?"

I groaned."Maybe we should just start by picking a genre."

"Genre?" came my echoes.

"Yes, genre.What type of story do you want this to be?Horror, romance, mystery?"

"Uh…" my uncle thought for a moment."Horror?"

"Okay, good.There's a start.Now what going to happen in your story?"

"Someone should die!" Trunks commented enthusiastically.

Goten nodded excitedly."Yeah!And there should be guns!"

I sighed deeply.This was gonna be a long night.

Finally, two hours later we had a story worthy of showing off to Goten's workers.It wasn't very long, but at least it was interesting.Besides I was tired and wanted to go to bed, I wasn't up for writing more stories-and I did feel as if I wrote most of it myself.It was like multiple choice for my uncle and Trunks.

As I was heading out the door Trunks called to me."Hey, Pan?How'd you get in, I thought I locked the door!"

I blinked, realizing I had almost forgotten the reason I had come over."It _was_ locked," I answered."I used my key."

"Key?" echoed Goten.

I reached in my pocket and pulled it out."That's why I came over, to give it back. Catch!" I said and threw it to Trunks across the room.

"Thanks," muttered Trunks looking nervously at Goten for some reason.

"Oh, I forgot!" I cried

"What?" Trunks asked.

"Did I leave any clothing over here?I'm missing my favorite pair of pants."

"Pants?" cried Goten.

"Uh, no," Trunks said, running a nervous hand through his hair."Not that I've seen.I'll, uh, go check your room."

"Room!" Goten almost yelled.Trunks winced a little.

"Okay, well thanks anyway.I'll see you both later. See ya!"I walked out the door, locking and closing it behind me.

"TRUNKS!" I heard from the house behind me.

I grinned evilly as I walked towards my car.

***

Does anybody else notice that strange things happen to me while I'm grocery shopping?I realize now that maybe it was that store that was a luck charm-good or bad, I'm not sure yet-probably bad.A few weeks after that incident I was, once again, shopping (guess what I'd run out of).On this (in?)auspicious occasion I didn't run into anybody I knew, or see any interesting articles, but little did I realize that a chance meeting would change my outlook on life so dramatically.

I was walking leisurely down the soda aisle trying to figure out which kind I felt like that week.I think I'm the only person in the world who never knows what kind of soda I want when they approach a cola vendor-but I digress.As I said I was strolling down the aisle looking hard at the orange soda when splat, I'm knocked unceremoniously on my butt, compliments of a tall, dark, clumsy man.

I looked up at him from my unflattering vantage point and saw him stare back at me for a moment.His hair was black, like mine, and his face had a very handsome chiseled look-he was perhaps two years older than me.His eyes were green-yes, green, but they didn't startle me like the gunman's.They had a concerned and embarrassed calm to them.

After a moment he grinned sheepishly- for a moment reminding me of my grandfather- and then held out his hand to me.I considered not taking it, but I could tell it had been an accident, plus he was hot.I grasped it and he hefted me up like I weighed practically nothing.

"Sorry," he laughed somewhat nervously.

For a moment I just looked at him, but then I sighed."It's okay" I shrugged.

"You okay?"his voice rumbled low in concern and I felt Goosebumps rise on my arms.I was silent in shock for a split second before answering.

"Uh, y-yeah, I'm fine."I smiled at him sweetly.If Trunks were there he probably would have gagged and told me I was giving him cavities.

"Oh, good! I'm really sorry, I have a clumsy streak, and I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It's okay, really," I reassured him.

"Well…" he said slowly, as if unsure."Let me make it up to you."

From that day until the end of our relationship I didn't know if he had bumped into me on purpose.

We went out to lunch at a nearby tex-mex restaurant and only after we were seated did I find out his name.

"So," I started."I'm Son Pan."Yes, I'll admit that it was an awkward attempt.I'm really bad at starting conversation.Fortunately he was not.Later I came to realize that he could connect with almost anybody in a matter of minutes.

"Nice to meet you, Pan.I'm Awasawa Hiroki."He smiled winningly at me, and from that moment I was lost.

We were almost inseparable for months after that, and I had a vague hope that he was the one, even though I'd been having thoughts about-er-a certain friend.I thought that this would cure me of my little annoying daydreams, and, for a time, it did.

In March, three months after we had begun to see each other exclusively, I did something that I thought I would never do before I was married, or at least engaged.I slept with him.This was at the peak of our relationship, when I could almost picture the two of us together for a long time, when I thought he could be 'the one'.One month later WE stopped seeing each other.It was neither of our faults, or maybe it was both.I began to look at the caller ID to see if I could dodge his calls, and that's when I knew it wasn't going to work out.I was sorry, but not heartbroken.

Two weeks later, on April nineteenth, I found out I was pregnant.

***

A/NSorry, cliffhanger!Please Review, please!…by the way even if you didn't like the way this chapter turned out don't give up on the rest of the story.

   [1]: mailto:dragon@icyspicy.com



	6. In Which I Find Myself in the Hospital

Title:  I Saw the End, Chapter 6

Author:  Shoka-chan

dragon@icyspicy.com 

            So…yeah…it's been well over a year since I've done anything with this, and I really regret it.  I understand that that's a really evil thing for an author to do ( I know that I, myself, hate it immensely), and so I apologize.  I just quit working on it when my senior year started, and then over the past summer I was more into other fanfiction (but didn't write anything) and I just forgot about it.  But then I just found a website design I did for red ribbon lost, and decided the site needed a complete makeover, and I needed to weed the links section, and, most of all, I couldn't put up a stupid design change without adding to the main portion of the site, namely this fic.  So I got a bit inspired and here it is.  I hope to write more chapters soon as well…but I doubt it'll happen until at least January.  It's exam week, and then I'm going home…well as much home as I can get considering my parents sold it and rented a small-but-cute townhouse with no internet.  Maybe I'll write during this coming week when I get tired of studying.  Anyway, enjoy the story.  By the way, you may want to consider this a rough (very rough) draft.  I've only checked it over once for screw ups, and I _know_ I haven't caught them all, but it's 2:00 am and I'm done.

Oh, oh!  By the way, I need links to Trunks and Pan sites!  I've been off the scene for a year and a ton of my links are broken (I fixed some, deleted others), so if you know any good new T/P sites please, please let me know about them!  Many thanks!

***

            Pregnancy was not something that I was prepared for, which I should think is painfully obvious.  I had just started my first job after college and I wasn't ready to give it up yet, even temporarily, but mostly I was poor and alone.  It was just me before this, and so I could exist on instant foods and tap water in a possibly-buggy apartment without guilt.  How could I possibly provide for a child?

            I knew, _knew_, that I would never go back to Hiroki, who was a nice guy, but not for me.  It could only end badly, and I wasn't even sure if he would want to be with me, child or not.  I had never felt so alone as I did that mid-April afternoon as I held the pregnancy test in my hand and stared down at the twin blue stripes.

            I considered an abortion very seriously, but in the end couldn't go through with it even though it seemed, at that time, to be the only option.  As I thought it over I realized that I was an adult now, adult enough to take responsibility for my actions.  If I had been younger and still in school I have few doubts about how I would have reacted, and it wouldn't have been to keep the child.

            Other problems cropped up after my decision and my requisite visit to the doctor's office to confirm my condition.  How was I going to tell my parents?  Tell the school?  Tell anybody?  I was ashamed, even though now as I look back on it I realize I should've been stronger.  I turned into myself even more than I had earlier, during the hostage incident.  I had been fine for months, normal.  I didn't need pills, doctors, or crying fits, but at this revelation I reverted back into the scared self of earlier months.  But, life went on, as it is wont to do, even when you wish the earth would stop spinning and then swallow you whole.

            April twenty-first was a Monday, a workday, and the day I made my decision not to get an abortion.  When I left the classroom that day I realized I couldn't deny what was growing inside me the right to grow into the same type of person as those twenty sunny faces that had smiled up at me all day, faces that had been doing it for almost a year.  So I made an appointment at a doctors office for the following Saturday.  I admit that the office was one that I had never been to.  There was no way that I could go to my family doctor.  Imagine my parents finding out about the child when a receptionist congratulated them on their future stature as grandparents.  Not good.

            God, they'd be so disappointed in me.  How could I ever face them after that?  Would they still love me, accept me?  I didn't have the strength to tell my parents then, and knew that I probably wouldn't until it began to show.  In my guilt I shut myself off from family and friends and concentrated on planning for work.  I made a schedule for the next year, knowing I would have to give it to the substitute during my maternity leave, and headed up the "Dinosaur Museum" project the school held for the students every year, coming up with projects students could do to contribute to the museum.  Unfortunately some people were more aggressive than others when it came to getting a hold of me.

            May twenty-fifth I was sitting on my couch watching the game show channel and wishing to be one of the contestants, any of the contestants, even the man with the annoying trilling laugh, a knock sounded at the door.  For a moment I considered not answering the door, but I was sort of in the mood for some company.  I opened it to find Trunks leaning casually against my doorframe.

            "T-Trunks…What a surprise!" and it was, believe me.  I hadn't seen him since sometime in the middle of my relationship with Hiroki, and, though he had called somewhat more recently I had avoided calling him back, as with the rest of the people in my life who really meant something.

            "I figured you must be pretty busy not to call me back so I decided to drop by and see what was keeping you."  He grinned down at me sweetly, but with a hint of reproach.

            "Keeping me?" I squeaked.

            "Yeah, keeping you.  So what is it?  That guy?"  Was that a hint of malice in his voice?

            "Guy?" I parroted. 

            "Yeah...Miroku, or whatever."  I like to think he purposefully got the name wrong in an attempt to get under my skin because he was mad at me for dating…but then I'm known for thinking what I wanna, even when it has no basis in fact or truth.

            "Hiroki?"  I asked slowly, the word dripping like poison from my tongue down my throat and into my stomach where it congealed into a heavy ball of dread.

            "Yeah, sure."  Yeah, sure?  What?

            "It ended over a month ago, a couple of months ago actually."  Trunks blinked.  

            "What?"

            "It ended," I repeated.  Trunks blinked again, looked around my apartment as if to be sure I wasn't hiding Hiroki, and then brushed past me into my apartment, somewhat more relaxed-looking.

            "Oh.  Sorry it didn't work out, then."  At this point I had to ask myself if I was missing something.  Finally I gave a mental shrug and joined him at my kitchen table where he had apparently gravitated.

            "I'm not."  I'm just sorry about the results.  "He wasn't…the one, or whatever."

            "Or whatever?"  Trunks raised an eyebrow.  I shrugged.

            "I dunno if there's such thing as 'the one,' especially for me.  I can't seem to get the hang of this relationship thing.  I'm starting to think I'm a commitment-phobe."  That was a lie.  I'd known for a long time.  Since college, in fact.

            "Yeah," Trunks nodded in empathy.  "I know how that is."  He looked down at his hands, placed one on top of the other on my crude kitchen table.  "Any new prospects?"

            "No."  Hell, no.  Trunks looked up at me with a smile.  

"Well, better luck in the future," he said.  I eyed him suspiciously.

"What the hell is this all about, Trunks?  A catalogue of my love-life?"

"What?"  Trunks looked into my eyes with his wide innocent ones.  "I was just wondering if you'd be sending out wedding invitations anytime soon."

I shuddered.  "Hell, no," I intoned, voicing my earlier thoughts.  Trunks narrowed his eyes at this, and I fidgeted in my chair.  Now that his weird behavior was at an end he was free to notice mine.

"Are you okay?  You seem nervous."

"Fine! I'm fine!" I said too quickly.  I took a breath and tried again.  "I'm just tired, you know.  Got an early start today and it's late now…" I trailed off and he took the hint.

"Well, then, I guess I'll be off."  I nodded and smiled tiredly.  All my strength had been quickly drawn out of me by the conversation.  We stood and walked to the door and paused inside the frame.

"It was nice to see you again, Trunks, it's been too long.  We used to hang out all the time," I said with a wistful look in my eyes.  Unexpectedly I threw my arms around his neck and pressed my cheek against his hard chest, desperate for contact.

After a moment Trunks wrapped his arms around my back and leant his chin on the top of my head.  "I miss you Panny-chan.  Where the hell you been?"

I couldn't answer; if I had tried to speak I couldn't have stopped the tears.  Finally, somehow, we parted and he made his way down to his car and away from me.

I was incredibly tired, but not as sleepy as I should have been.  Trunks' visit had stirred a restlessness in me as much as it had stirred a hopelessness.  How could I ever tell him?  I traipsed downstairs, my vision swimming slightly because if my weariness, to retrieve the mail I had forgotten to check when I had returned from work.  I pulled out my tiny mailbox key and used it to get my mail. 

 I shuffled through it as I walked back upstairs.  I dropped it when I lost my balance.  The stairwell swam in front of me and my step faltered.  I jerked as I had a false sensation of falling.  And then it wasn't so false.  For a horribly long but impossibly short moment I teetered, unbalanced, on one foot.  And then I fell down, unable to catch myself, my limbs not responding to the screaming of my mind.  My exhausted body paid no attention to my commands.  And so I fell, screaming a strangled little scream all the way.

I woke up in the ambulance, half-naked, the smell of blood permeating the air.  I looked dazedly into the eyes of the EMT, and then the adrenaline came rushing into my system as I realized the blood was mine.  How could that be possible?  I wondered, shocked.  I was a quarter saiya-jinn, I had fought incredible monsters and had barely sported bruises.  How was the blood mine?  I fought to sit up, but the man in front of me pushed me down and pulled the starched hospital blanket up higher on my chest. 

"Ms. Son?  You're on the way to Satan General Hospital.  Do you remember what happened?" he asked.

"I-I fell down the stairs," I answered, thinking of that horrible moment right before I fell where I _knew_ it would happen, but couldn't stop it.

At that moment the ambulance halted and I could see the bright lights of the hospital winking at me from the back windows.

"You'll be just fine Ms. Son.  We'll just call your family for you and-"

"No!" I practically screamed.  "No.  I don't want them here."  They would find out, they would know if they came.  The hospital would tell them, wouldn't it?

"Are you sure?" the EMT asked, concern marring his features.

"Yes," I gasped, trying to hold back the tears.

***

An hour later I was out of the ER (a world record for ERs, judging by past experience) and in a hospital room of my own.  I lay in the bed, my fingers skimming thoughtlessly over the folds in the sheets when the doctor entered my room and pulled a chair over to my side.  I looked up at him wordlessly, still smelling trace amounts of my own blood in the air.

"Ms. Son, I'm extremely sorry to have to tell you this, but you've lost the baby.  I'm not sure if you already guessed this or not."  I had thought it, only minutes after getting out of the ambulance, but I wasn't sure, it had been a fleeting thought.  I blinked up at him.  The doctor placed his hand over mine in a consoling gesture.  "Do you understand, Ms. Son?  You've had a miscarriage."

Slowly I turned onto my other side, away from him, and for a moment did nothing.  Then, suddenly, I was wracked with sobs, my entire body shuddering with the great force of them.  My breathing hitched and tears ran down my face.  I had never before known that sobs could be silent.  Sometime after I began the doctor silently made his way out of my room, leaving me alone.

***

I called in sick to work the next day, telling the substitute to use the emergency plans I had stashed in my bottom desk drawer in case of emergencies.  It had been close to midnight when I was brought in, and they wanted me to stay for observation and so I stayed the night, though I didn't get much sleep.  There were certain tests the doctors had to run on me before I could leave.  I was discharged early in the afternoon of the next day, after talking with the doctor.  I was assured that there was minimal scarring (which I attributed to my saiya-jinn genes and their quick and efficient healing ability), and that the chances of another, successful pregnancy, were very high.  

I was so grateful for this that I can't even describe it.  I loved children, wanted some, had always wanted them in my future, but not then.  Oh, God, not then.  I went back to my apartment and tried to go through the motions, but I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, didn't want to watch television.  Couldn't go to work.  I ended that night by making up plans for the next two days, just in case.  It wasn't the pain, though there was some.  I'm not sure if it would have been worse for a normal human woman.  I had pills for that anyway.  I was just numb that first day, just so numb.  I couldn't feel, couldn't think, could barely function.  The next morning I drove the plans to the school at six am—I had woken at five—and dropped them off with the secretary.

"You look so pale, dear!" the older woman said compassionately.  "I certainly hope you feel better."

I smiled weakly.  "Thank you."

She smiled back at me brightly before glancing out the large windows directly in front of her desk and directly behind me.  "I hope you brought an umbrella.  The rain looks about ready to start any moment!"

As I stepped out of the school and began to walk towards my car the clouds burst open with a torrent of rain.  All the way back home the windshield wipers seemed to whisper to me, telling me nothing.  I spent all day at home, eating double-chocolate-brownie ice cream that seemed to me to taste like cardboard.

At nine forty-seven pm I descended the stairs, pausing to look at a slightly visible dark-brown stain marring the carpet at the bottom of the stairs, my face impassive.  I walked out to my car and inserted my keys into the ignition.  As the car started the wipers turned back on, pushing away the still-pouring rain from my window.  I shifted into drive and stretched out my jean-encased leg towards the accelerator, brushing my dark hair out of my face.

I stood outside Trunks' house in the rain for ten minutes.  When I finally knocked on the door my hair was plastered to my face in wind-twisted locks, my light-blue t-shirt soaked through.  A solitary figure shifted behind the curtains in the living room and then my enhanced hearing picked up footsteps in the hall leading towards the door.  And then it opened. 

I stood in the darkness, arms clutched around my midsection, looking like a drowned rat, and he stood in the doorway, light spilling out behind him, silhouetting him.  I could only make out traces of lavender in the outline of his hair.  His hand moved and suddenly the porch light illuminated me.  He squinted in confusion.

"Panny-chan?"  I stood there for another long moment and looked at him with an expression of fear and pain.  And then I couldn't stop myself.

I lunged at him, grabbed onto him, soaking his shirt.  "I lost it!  Lost it!  I didn't mean to, but I did!"

"Wha-what?" Trunks asked, and I tried to answer, even though speech was rapidly becoming beyond my abilities.

"I lost it and I cried, but I was relieved.  Oh, God, what kind of person am I?" I asked, horrified.  "I cried because I was relieved!  And I was alone, all alone, and I'm tired of being alone.  I was relieved, God, so relieved."  

Trunks was rapidly becoming panicked, and I could see it in his face.  "What!  What did you lose?"  I took a deep breath through my tears and the rain and whatever was caught in my throat, and looked up, straight into his clear blue eyes.

"My-my baby.  I lost the baby."

***

A/N: Just another apology for the incredibly long wait here…I wonder if anybody who read this before is reading it now…it's been so long that it seems unlikely, doesn't it?  As a little note, the next chapter will contain more discussion on why Pan's saiya-jinn abilities didn't save her.  Also will have much drama and little humor.  *sigh*


	7. In Which I Fall Asleep With Trunks

Title: I Saw the End Ch. 7

Author: Shokachan

Rating: PG-13-R, for drama and stuff ~_^

Okay, I'm sorry, yet again, for taking so long. You know what? It's exam time…same time as I wrote chapter 6, only a semester later...hmmm, interesting…Is is the procrastination, or do I get more free time come exam week? That would be irony, would it not? Anyhow, at least you get a chapter, no matter how late huh? *weak smile* I mean, right? Okay…no. I'll try to get one out sooner than later, but I'm really bad about writing chapter stories in a timely fashion. If I rush them they turn out with no plot and no imagination…basically crap. Maybe if some nice T/P fans point out some new T/P sites with good fanart (yay fanart!) and original fanfics I'll get inspired *wink wink* Yeah, it's been forever and a day since I've looked a T/P stuff, and almost all my fav sites are closed down…very sad

*Flash* lightning illuminated the room for a split second and I looked away from Trunks' dark shape almost as quickly. I shifted on the couch, soaking it even more. I was embarrassed, but knew that Trunks didn't really care.

*Flash* Again the room was bathed in light for a moment. I looked down at my hands clutched in my lap and tried to breathe deeply. Failed in breathing deeply. The air caught in my throat and I coughed, sobbed. 

He had led me into his living room after my confession, but hadn't said a word. Truthfully I still didn't think he understood. He sat on the coffee table directly across from me, our knees barely touching. Thunder rumbled in the distance, but we were silent. 

After another moment he broke the quiet. "Pan, what's going on?" He said it softly, like if he were loud I would shatter into a million pieces like a china doll. I might have.

I concentrated on breathing for a moment, and wondered why I had come here. Why? "I was pregnant."

*Flash* Trunks' eyes widened, impossibly large, they looked at me with disbelief.

"Until two days ago, when I fell down the stairs at my apartment. I was tired, or sick, or something, and I was partially-unconscious for a short period of time, and that was all it took to lose the baby." I put my face into my hands, my elbows resting on my knees.

I felt an awkward hand on my shoulder. "I'm…I'm sorry." he said.

*Flash* "I'm not."

The hand on my shoulder stilled, and I shuddered. I hated myself for being so relieved that I had lost the baby, but I couldn't help my emotions. He must think I'm a monster.

"I guess I'm not either."

*Flash* Time paused on this moment, the light shining off the highlights on his face, deep shadows rested in the valleys of it, serious eyes staring back at me, the hand had become heavy on my shoulder.

"Wha-What?"

"You weren't ready, it just wasn't possible for you was it?" The hand slid to my shoulder blade, my chest lowered towards him. "You haven't been the same since the hostage incident, I've seen it. You're better, but you're…you're so young, so impressionable. You just aren't ready for children yet. And you were alone. You didn't love him…did you?"

I used the heel of my had to swipe away more tears. I squinted at his face, but no flash of lightning helped by lighting up the room. "No," I answered.

The hand slid to my mid-back, my chest barely grazed his. Slowly I lowered my head so that it rested underneath his chin in the crook of his neck. He smelled so good.

"No what?" he whispered.

"I didn't love him."

I heard a sigh escape from his lips.

"I mean I don't love him. I did love him. Oh, I really did, you know. I was happy for a while." I wrapped my arms around Trunks, softly, unlike before, when he was a lifeline and I was drowning in the rain, pulled down by my guilt. 

Suddenly he stood, my arms falling away from him, his hand lifting from it's comforting position on my back. He walked away, flipped on the light and then came back, sitting on the couch beside me. The light was harsh, real, and I blinked, trying to adjust. His eyes were hard to read, to interpret. They seemed sad, I suppose.

"Are you disappointed in me? For getting pregnant and not being married, or even in love?" I asked. It was a stupid question. Really it was none of his business, he wasn't my family, wasn't my brother or my boyfriend.

"I would never judge you. Especially for that," he said. "It's not like I've ever had sex before, and as you can see I'm definitely not married." he grinned slightly, and I gave a weak smile in return. "You've been through enough, I think. Too much in this past year. You're so young…" he trailed off, looking at me closely.

I stared back with wide eyes. "Not so young, anymore."

"No, I guess not" he replied, sadness settling on his features once more. Then he stood up, gently pulling me with him. "Stay here tonight, it's late and the roads are dangerous. You're in no condition to drive, and neither am I, I think." I nodded and followed him up the stairs. He walked me to the guest room, pulling me into his embrace at the door. He rested his chin on my head and I leaned against him, without the strength to even put my arms around his body, though I desperately wanted to. I wanted to feel his defined muscles against my body, wanted to stay like that for eternity.

"Why'd you come here Pan?" he whispered against my hair, echoing my mental question from earlier.

"I don't know," I whispered back. Slowly I pulled away and opened the door. "You just feel like home to me" I added before slipping quietly into the room, shutting the door before he could respond. I feel into a deep and dreamless sleep that night, and left before dawn the next morning, before he woke up.

Back in my apartment I prepared for work, and returned to my class a day earlier than I had anticipated. I wasn't healed, but I was better. So much better because I wasn't alone, I wasn't the only one who knew, other than the hospital personnel that didn't care, or the white, sterilized hospital room that had witnessed my tears. I felt like a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I don't care how clichéd it sounds, it was true. The sun was shining as I walked in that morning, and I lifted my face to it, and felt immeasurably better.

***

A little over two weeks later found me in the midst of last minute preparations for the kids' dinosaur museum, and I rushed happily around the gym, our temporary showcase, putting up paper-plate stegosaurus' and jointed paper diplodocus.' School had just ended and The "museum" was set to open at six o'clock, a mere three hours in the future and I was still setting up some displays and making preparations for the play that was set to premiere at seven. 

I held Toru-chan's stegosaurus in my hands and jumped, trying to fit it into place at the top of the display. Unfortunately I was a bit too short. Another leap with a bit of sustained ki to keep me in the air a moment longer would have done it, but before I could attempt it the creature was whisked out of my hands from behind.

I turned around with a bright smile on my face and leapt up, wrapping my arms around Trunks' neck. "Trunks!" I exclaimed. "Whatcha doing here?"

"My, aren't we happy today?" he asked.

"Why shouldn't I be?" I asked back, grinning. The sun is shining, it's a lovely seventy degrees Fahrenheit, and my kids are about to show off their astounding artistic and mental abilities. Trunks looked around the gym and smiled in a stunningly sweet way.

"It's adorable, these projects, this show. You're really proud of your students aren't you?"

"Well, they aren't all mine, it's all of the second grade classes, but yes, of course I'm proud. They've worked hard on this, you know. All these projects, and we spent all day setting up the displays and work stations." I smiled brighter at the thought. "It's going to be so much fun for them."

Trunks nodded and I looked up at him and narrowed my eyes a bit. "what are you doing here, anyhow?" I hadn't seen him since that night I had collapsed on him and poured out my secret, my guilt. We had talked on the phone a couple of times, skirting around that topic, except once, when he asked me if I was going to be alright now. I had told him that I'd be fine, I had him.

"I had heard about your hard work on this world-renown exhibit, and wondered if you might like a date to the opening night" he said, with a faux-snooty accent.

"Why, Mr. Briefs" I returned in kind, "I would be _more_ than honored." And I was.

He was great with kids, I noted later that night, when I was off talking to parents and had left him in charge of dressing the children up for the play. He could gain a child's trust almost instantly with his long-honed people skills and innate sincerity. A fellow second grade teacher turned to me while we were at the snack table a few feet away from where Trunks was coercing a child into a T-rex mask.

"Your boyfriend is really good with the kids." She grinned a little wickedly "and Extremely good looking to boot. He seems familiar, to me, though…"

I grinned a bit. "He's not my boyfriend, just a friend of the family. He came over to help out." I purposefully left out his professional status. 

"You two seem awfully close for being family friends" she mused.

I shrugged. "We've known each other forever. I think I met him the day I was born. He's…quite a bit older than me, actually." I looked closely for signs of him listening, but found none. I'm not sure if I was hoping for a reaction or not.

"He cant be that much older."

"A bit over ten years" I replied.

"Hmmm" she peered closely. "Well, you'd never know, would you?" And then she wandered over to a display her class was in charge of to praise a student or hers on her memorization of paleontological facts.

"How are we doing, Kae-chan?" I asked after walking over to Trunks, placing my hands on his shoulders. He was kneeling down in front of me, helping one of my students tie her shoes. She could do it on her own, I knew. I grinned at the thought of Trunks inadvertently winning over girls, even starting at age seven. The girl grinned up at me.

"Mr. Briefs is helping me with my costume!" she exclaimed energetically.

"Oh, is he now? How nice of him." I answered with a serious face. Finally the shoe-tying was completed and Kae ran off with an "Arigato, Mr. Briefs!" and a flip of the hand.

Trunks turned to me, uprooting my hand from their place, and slipped his arm through mine. For some reason I found this unspeakably cute. My stupid heart beat a little faster, a staccato rhythm against my rib cage. Doki doki, boom boom. 

"You look a little tired" he said, searching my face.

I decided not to take it the wrong way, and dragged a hand across my face. "Does it really show?"

"Not at all. I can just tell with you." The play started and I never found out how exactly he could "just tell."

***

We walked slowly, side by side under the moonlight, through the maze in the parking lot to my car. He stopped me from opening my car door by placing his hand over mine before I lifted the handle.

"Why don't you spend the night at my house?" For a moment I stood in shock, my body tense, but then I saw his facial expression and it left me in a wave. He meant it completely innocently. His grin held a hint of nostalgia. "We can catch up--really catch up, I mean. We see each other all the time, Panny-chan, but I feel like it's disasters or holidays with us. That's why I stopped by today. We should hang out more. We used to be pals, you know. Hung out with you as much as Goten. We've sort of lost that, I think."

I shrugged and kept it light. "Sure, why not? We can catch up." Trunks nodded.

"I'll meet you there, then. See you in a few!" he tossed a wave in my direction as he walked to his car across the lot. I followed him with my eyes as he walked away.

"Catch up," I repeated in a whisper. "_pal_."

I followed his silver sports car down the highway and then on the back streets to his house, thinking thoughts that I was embarrassed of. Why was I so affronted at being his friend, his 'pal.' it's not what I wanted, never what I wanted. But he was just my friend, right? When he asked me over tonight, at first, I had truly thought…well doesn't matter what I thought. I couldn't think of that. 

Finally I pulled into his driveway. Trunks was already out of his car, and so he walked over and opened my door for me. I grabbed my keys and purse and slid out.

"I swear, I ought to just leave my stuff here instead of toting it back and forth" I said, jokingly, as I grinned up at Trunks as he fiddled with the key to his front door.

He laughed good-naturedly as he successfully turned the knob and disarmed the alarm. "You probably should. You do seem to end up staying here and awful lot. I'm starting to think you cant get enough of my irresistible self." he said the last part with a ridiculous bat of the eyelashes that I couldn't help laughing at.

"You know" Trunks said with a tone completely unlike the jesting one he had just been using, "When Elizabeth suggested leaving some of her stuff here I completely freaked out, for some weird reason." he shook his head as if to reprimand himself for his irrationality.

I decided to keep it light. "Well, you don't mind me because you know I'm not using you for sex." Trunks' head shot up and he looked at me with eyes wide with surprise. I grinned hugely. "I'm after your money!" I cried and ran as fast as I could up the stairs, laughing like a hyena.

A sharp bark of laughter followed me before his body did. He chased me from the entrance hall to the upstairs one. I ran into a random room, trying to shut and lock the door, but his hand got in the way, and his strength was too much for this quarter saiya-jinn to win against. I was almost breathless with laughter as I collapsed against the floor, and the door opened, Trunks standing triumphantly in it's frame.

"Ha ha! I win! Puny girl you can never beat me! He eyed the room as I laughed even harder, then squinted down at me with laughter gleaming in his eyes. "I knew you were lying! You are using me for sex, that is why you sought refuge in my room!"

"Never! Pure Dumb luck!" I gasped back, and then added, before he could reply "_bad_ luck!"

"You cant fool me!" he said, and helped me up from the floor and onto the bed. He stood beside it while I recovered. "I know you want this!" he said, faking immodesty. Our Trunks was never too good at taking compliments or dealing with innuendo, really. He turned as red as a tomato and stuttered. He must be completely secure in his belief that we could never have a relationship to be able to joke about it so openly with me. This thought sobered me a little, even while I knew that I should already have known that--and should feel the same way.

Suddenly very sleepy I yawned, then stretched feeling very much like a cat, and then curled up on the right side of the bed and put my hands under my head acting as a pillow. "I like it here. You get to go sleep in the guest room" I murmured, my eyes closing of their own volition. 

"My room," Trunks answered, and then jumped over me to the left side of the bed. The light had never been turned on, so the room's only light came from the moon shining through the window, and it shone right through my thin eyelids. I turned over and nestled back into the mattress, and then felt something cover me. I opened my eyes slightly to see Trunks pulling the covers up over me, himself still on top of them. Still keeping my eyes closed I tugged them out from under his body and held them up. I felt him pull them over his body and he moved closer to me.

I opened my eyes to look straight into his aqua blue ones, slightly muted by the dim moonbeams. I smiled sleepily and he moved even closer, his arms closing around my back. I had heard that sleeping face to face was difficult and uncomfortable, and if you wanted to sleep with a guy spooning was the only way to go, but this wasn't true, I thought. My arms were pressed between my chest and his, not uncomfortably, and my lower right leg slipped between his knees. Slowly my arms slid up his chest and around his neck and he turned off of his side onto his back, taking me with him. I laid my head against his chest and, after a while, fell asleep, lulled by his not-yet-sleeping breathing pattern .

***

I'm thinking that maybe I'll put off the next chapter a bit and do a little side story about this chapter from Trunks' point of view…that's the only thing I hate about first person, I cant get his thoughts in there! But, then again, maybe that's part of the first-person mystery.*evil laugh*


	8. In Which He Makes Me PB&J and Kisses Me

So, uh, I'm really, really sorry? That's all I can offer I suppose, and it's so very true! This story was started in high school and I've graduated college (and gone back again, how fun). I have no excuse, so I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has reviewed, even if it was way back in 2001. Hope this chapter keeps it up!

Disclaimer: I, of course, don't own the characters or storyline of DBZ.

I looked across the coffee table at my psychiatrist and cringed a little at the thought of being back here. After my breakdown because of the hostage situation I thought I might never darken the doorway of this office again, but I suppose life has a way of surprising you.

"I think," Dr. Anami began, "that you have had a particularly hard year. There's no need to be ashamed at coming back to my office. We all need a little help sometimes."

And this was true, I knew that. It did not, however, mean I wanted to be here any more than I had wanted it the first time.

"Remember the first few sessions that we had, after the hostage incident?" I nodded for her to continue. "We discussed how your fear did not stem from an anxiety of you being hurt, but of a fear for your students' safety, correct?"

Again I nodded, wondering where this was going. "This time is different," she continued. "Your avoidance of friends, family and coworkers stems from your fear of being hurt emotionally, as you were when you lost your baby, as well as feelings of guilt. You feel as if, should your family find out about the baby, and how you had a miscarriage, they would no longer accept you, love you."

"That's true," I conceded. "I know that's true."

"Have your friends and family ever given you any indication that anything you do could cause them to reject you?"

"No, never."

"Then you should believe they would never do so. If you feel the need to tell them, then you should, but on the other hand, it's your right to keep something so private to yourself. Have you told anyone?" she asked.

"Yes, Trunks. My…friend," I responded.

"Friend?" She questioned. "What exactly is his relationship to you?"

"I don't know," I answered, and I didn't.

I lifted my grocery bags onto my counter and thought about the answers to that question. What did it mean when you fell asleep with a friend like that? When you woke up the next morning in their arms and wished so hard for something more?

Damn, this was bad, bad, bad, that's what it meant! The funny thing was, it hadn't even been awkward the next morning. Granted I woke up first, disentangled myself and went downstairs to eat breakfast and obsess over what had happened. When I heard his feet on the stairs I threw my thoughts aside and put a sunny smile on my face. He sleepily sauntered into the room and mussed my hair as he passed me on his way to the Cap'n Crunch.

"Morning Panny." He said.

"Morning!" I returned, my slippered feet sliding against the tile in a traitorous attempt to get up and run out. He sat down, poured his cereal into a bowl and I leaned over to pour his milk, which had been sitting beside me on the table, left out after I had gotten my own cereal.

"Are you working today?" he asked me.

"Is it a weekday?" I returned playfully.

"Gee, I think so," he said, rolling his eyes at my sarcasm.

"Then," I said "I think I do."

"Then," he said, imitating me, "I think you're going to be late."

My head whipped around to look at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall only to see that I had about thirty minutes to get to the school. "Oh, crap!" I shouted as I leapt up from the table to run to my room. I pulled on some tights and the first skirt and shirt I could find, left over from my repeated stays in Trunks's guestroom. I skidded back downstairs and pulled on my shoes where they rested in front of the door. I saw Trunks leaning against the doorway to the kitchen behind me.

"See ya!" I yelled as I opened the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked.

I looked at him quizzically over my shoulder. "Uh, what?"

He smiled brightly. "I made you lunch!" I could tell he was extremely proud of himself and I couldn't help but laugh quietly.

"You cooked? For me?" I asked as I waked towards him. He nodded. "Thanks," I said as I grabbed the non-descript brown lunch bag from him. "Bye!"

"Bye, Panny!" he yelled after me as I ran out the door to my car. He waved as I drove away.

Later that day, when my students were safely tucked away in the cafeteria and I was back in my classroom, I unrolled the top of the bag and pulled out what was on top. Peanut butter and jelly. He had made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Something deep in my stomach clenched in happiness, which made me anxious, as well. I think it was the best PB and J I had ever eaten.

So, apparently, other than finding out that I thought PB and J sandwiches were the cutest damn things on the planet, nothing else much happened that day. In fact, nothing much happened until that weekend, and what happened was no fun.

I had been invited, with my parents and grandma, to dine at the fabulous house of Bulma and Vegeta that Saturday. And, because I can't turn down free food, as well as my extreme sisterly love for Bra, I went.

I arrived after my parents and so when I got there I immediately hugged them. It seemed like it had been so long since I had seen them. After greeting everybody else Bra and I ran off to her room to act like sixteen-year-olds by gossiping and playing dress-up. As I was trying on a designer skirt that cost more than my whole wardrobe Bra decided to regale me with the trials and travails of her newest relationship.

"Anyway," she continued, "I really think this one's done. He wants me to buy him things. Can you imagine? I'm not his personal ATM machine. I don't ask for him to buy me things, so why would he ask me?"

I held up a Gucci jacket in front of myself and posed for the mirror. "I dunno. Sounds like a dud to me," I answered, shifting to my left leg.

"So what happened with that guy you were seeing?" Bra asked. "I haven't heard about him for a long time."

I paused, and it was my downfall. Bra's eyebrows crashed together after a split second of me not answering. "What happened?" she asked. "Did he dump you?"

"N-no. No, we broke it off a few months ago. If I had to pick someone who ended it, then I would have to say I dumped him." I said, hoping that would appease her. It didn't.

"So, what?" she asked.

"So nothing," I said, affecting an irritated air. "It's over, it's done, the end."

"Liar, that's so not the end. We've been together practically since birth and I can tell that there's something else. You don't have to tell me, but I know there's something else."

I tossed the jacket back towards the closet and sat down carefully on the bed. She lay on her stomach on the other end of the bed and we waited while I gathered thoughts and words.

"I… I got pregnant." I admitted. I always knew I could tell Bra, knew she would be my ally. It didn't assuage the pangs of guilt I still felt sometimes, when I thought of the miscarriage.

Bra exploded off of the bed. "You're _pregnant_?" She yelled in a whisper.

I slowly shook my head. "Not anymore. I had a miscarriage, a few weeks ago. After falling down the stairs when I was sick."

We were silent for a moment until Bra spoke. "I don't know what to say Pan, other than I'm really, truly sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's…okay, Bra." Okay was not really the word I wanted to use, because it wasn't 'okay,' but it was close enough. "I'm dealing with it. I've gone to see a doctor – a psychiatrist. I'll be okay."

"You haven't told anyone, have you?" she asked me, accusatively, but not meanly.

"No," I answered without hesitation. She would see the thing Trunks and I had all wrong. I knew Bra, and I knew what she would think, and I wasn't ready to deal with that.

At that point Bulma used the intercom to call us to dinner. Bra and I looked at one another and smiled. "I'm okay, we're okay, it's all okay, or getting there," I told her as we headed out of the room. "I don't think I'm going to tell anyone else, at least, not yet. It's something I have to deal with first. But I'm okay."

"I believe you," she said as she put her arm around my back. "But if you need me, I'm here. For anything." And I knew she was.

As we headed into the dining room I couldn't help but ask Bulma "where's Trunks?"

"He said he'd be a bit late, but I thought he'd be here by now." And as she finished speaking we heard the door open. "Oh, there he is!" she exclaimed. "Why don't you go tell him we're going in to eat, Pan."

I nodded and headed out to the living room to come face to face with Elizabeth Ferris.

She was a terribly nice woman, as well as being extremely beautiful, which made me a little angry. For some reason I wanted to dislike her, to tell Trunks she was wrong for him, to tell him she was a bitch. But she wasn't, and I liked her. She had a degree in history from some English university, and her concentration was in Meiji Japan. She had worked hard to learn Japanese so she could better research for her concentration, and I had to admit her Japanese was spectacularly good. Much better than my English. She was nice, smart and beautiful. Life was not fair to me.

Trunks smiled a bit over the table at me, but it was awkward and tight. I smiled back, trying to make mine look more natural than his. I think I succeeded. This was not the first time she had been over to the house. I had already known that Bulma, Vegeta and Bra had already met her. For some reason, though, I had thought Trunks was… done with her or something. It was stupid, I knew. I also know that I was jealous. I was a big, burning, super-saiya-jin ball of seething jealousy on the inside, with a big, wide, innocent smile on the outside. I didn't want to dissect the reason for my jealousy. It was a minefield of emotions I couldn't deal with right then.

Somehow we all got through dinner, me hating Elizabeth mostly because I liked her so much. After dinner and desert we all went into the living room and I stayed just long enough to not arouse suspicion from leaving so quickly, and then I stood to go, citing parent-teacher conferences scheduled for tomorrow as my reason for leaving so early. Trunks stood after I had said my good-byes.

"I'll walk you out," he said simply. I nodded, though I just wanted to go, to not see him, to not be alone with him.

When we got to my car I looked over his shoulder at the lights of the Briefs' house. "Thanks for walking me," I said, then moved to turn to get into my car. Trunks's hand on my shoulder prevented this.

"I'm thinking about ending it with her." He told me.

I shrugged. "Why are you telling me about this?"

"I…I" he stuttered, "I guess you're my friend, and I'd like your input."

"I don't really know her all that well," I said carefully. "She's very nice, from what I can tell, extremely smart and is lovely. Why would you break up with her?"

He sighed a bit. "I don't really know. I just…don't feel like I should for her, I guess."

"How you should?" I asked.

"I'm not attracted to her like I should be if… if I was going to fell in love with her."

"Well," I said, "that is a problem. If that's true, and you don't want to be with her, you should end it. Quickly. So you hurt her the least amount possible, I guess." I looked down and began drawing designs in the gravel with my foot, nervously.

He narrowed his eyes at me a bit, and his hand slid down my shoulder to rest on my hand. I turned mine a bit so our palms met, and my breathing sped up. What the hell was happening, what the hell was happening, what the _hell_?

"Thanks for my sandwich," I said, unable to think of anything else.

"No problem," he said, leaning closer. I lifted my face, half in questioning, half in anticipation. "It was the only thing I could think to make, really."

"It was sweet." What the _hell_ was happening! I could feel his breath on my face, and began hoping desperately that we weren't visible from the house. "I like peanut butter."

"Good," he breathed against my face.

"I guess I better go," I said quietly. His girlfriend was right inside that house behind him.

"I guess," he said, leaning so far now we were nearly touching. He looked down on me for a moment and then leaned his face down to mine and kissed me gently on the cheek. We were still for a minute, and then he backed away. "See you soon," he said, and I knew it was a promise.

"Yeah," I breathed.

He turned and walked away from me, towards the house, and I turned and got into my car. When I was seated and the door was closed I leaned heavily against the steering wheel. "What was that?" I wondered out loud. After a moment I started the car and drove away from him.


	9. In Which I Attend the Annual Orchid Ball

A/N – Whoa, this one went in a direction _all _its own. Watch out, Pan, there's sexual tension ahead, and your author has no clue what brought it on to such an extent! Seriously, I'd like to know what you all think about their interaction in this chapter. I've never really written anything romantic-y like this is and I'd like to know if it seems too contrived. Little note about various things here; I decided not to use the Japanese order of names (i.e. family name first), because of how I've been ordering names so far in the story – even though I really wanted to.

I stood with the champagne flute in my hand, lazily scanning the crowd. The annual Orchid Ball was an event that had its prime in the early years of Satan City, after my grandfather held the first one when he became the Mayor. However, it was still populated by various high-class personages, while it simply was no longer _the_ party of the season. My invite was a matter of politeness and nostalgia. I was the grand-daughter of the first mayor to hold the party, so now I was invited by the current mayor.

My dress to this annual affair, the only event I still attended as a trust fund baby, was paid for by one of those infrequent dips into that trust. Long and white, as was designated by the traditional dress code for the ball, it was nothing particularly special, beyond its designer label and high price tag. The matching Manolo Blahnik jeweled T-strap sandals were my secret joy of the evening, though you'd never get me to admit it. I have my pride, as well as an image, to protect.

"Miss Son!" a voice cried out behind me. I whipped around, carefully balancing my drink, to find myself looking at Heita Seiryu, the current mayor of Satan City. "And aren't you looking lovelier than ever!"

I bowed slightly before shaking hands with him. "Mr. Mayor, how nice to see you again. How have you been?"

"Wonderful, wonderful!" Every line from his mouth had always seemed to me to come with an exclamation point at the end. "How have you been since that hostage situation at your school? It was simply dreadful!" He was a bit overbearing at times, but I had always liked him. He had been a faithful employee of my grandfather, and I suppose I had known him most of my life, if only as an acquaintance.

"Oh, I'm fine, everything's long since gone back to normal, I suppose," I answered, smiling wider.

"You were the hero of the hour, weren't you, dear? You were simply amazing to have disarmed that threat so neatly!" Before I could answer he was waving over my shoulder. "My dear, you simply must excuse me! I'll be sure to catch you again before you leave!"

I nodded in relief. So many exclamation points exhausted me, to be frank. I lifted my glass to my mouth and flung back my head, catching the rest of the champagne in my mouth, then walked to the bar area to set down my glass.

"Another drink, miss?" the bartender asked me. He was about my age and reasonably attractive, so I couldn't help leaning onto the bar and pretending to be a little tired. "I don't know. I may not make it through the party if I do."

"A few too many already?" he asked with a flirtatious lift of the brow.

"No, I'm just tired out. Maybe another would wake me up?"

"Champagne, again?" he inquired.

I nodded my head and then watched him while he poured more of the golden liquid into a new, clean flute. "Thanks," I smiled at him as I grabbed the drink, once again, to walk aimlessly through the throng of people.

I weaved my way to my place setting which was at a table slightly to the right of the main party's table. Generally this meant that I was a favored guest, but not one of the most important, or a guest of honor. At this early point in the evening no one was sitting at the tables and instead everyone was networking, whether personally or professionally. I decided to take my seat, regardless of my solitary state at the table. After a while of sitting and swinging my leg to the music while taking sips of my champagne I began seriously considering chugging the rest of the golden liquid just so I could go talk to the bartender again, as ridiculous as it sounds.

I finally made a decision and completely drank my second flute of champagne dry, but before I could even stand up the glass was whisked out of my fingers and replaced by a smiling waitress, who then trotted off just as quickly as she came. I blinked at my new glass for a moment before shrugging and taking a sip. An interruption came in the form of Mayor Seiryu, who came up behind me and grasped my empty hand.

"We can't have you sitting here all by yourself!" he exclaimed. "Now, my dear, you must let me introduce you around! I'm sure you'll recognize many people from your younger days, the guest list never does vary that much," he said with a wink.

I smiled back, my mood bolstered by two glasses of alcohol in less than ten minutes. "Oh, Mr. Mayor, it's not really necessary…" I trailed off when I realized he wasn't really listening, but instead was nodding to someone in the crowd.

"How about I introduce you to some of the more eligible bachelors in the room, darling girl?" Now, the champagne was helping get me in the mood, but I was seriously thinking that there was not enough alcohol in the world to make that sound appealing. I began to tug my had out of his grasp, but found that he had such a grip on it that it was impossible to do without causing a scene.

"No!" I cried. "No need, believe me, I know everyone here, I'm sure! I've got to… to go speak to Mrs. Iwazki!" Now I was the master of exclamation points. "She was such a supporter of all Grandpa's campaigns!" Like anyone at this party _wasn't_.

"Now, now dear, there's no need to be shy," the mayor said, seeing right through me. "Now here's a man you should know!" At the mayor's loud tone the young man we were behind turned around and smiled blankly. I had no idea who he was and, frankly, didn't care. "Professor Walnut, from Satan University! He's the youngest tenured professor in the school!"

I smiled weakly at the man as I was introduced. "Lovely to meet you," I said as I wondered how long I had to stay without making an impolite exit.

"And you Ms. Son," he said, looking a little lost as to why the mayor and I had descended on him.

"And look here," the mayor cried, pivoting me a few degrees to my left, leaving me slightly behind him but pointing in a new direction. "Look who he's talking to! It's Mr. Trunks Briefs, the CEO of Capsule Corporation! I'm so happy to see you've made it Mr. Briefs!"

I blinked in surprise while a bright smile formed on my face before I could squelch it.

Trunks, surprised out of a conversation, looked at the mayor for a moment before replying. "Yes, well, I was fortunate to be in the city this time." He then smiled widely. "Great party!" he said, holding up his own glass of champagne. The broad smile made me wonder how many glasses he had downed, and then made me wonder how many it would take to impact the system of the half-saiya-jin. Then I shrugged. Hey, he was human too, so to speak. I knew for a fact that my father couldn't hold his liquor to save his life.

"Mr. Briefs, you just must meet the former mayor's daughter! I found her sitting all alone at a table, you know!" I fought the urge to groan out loud and instead opened my mouth to speak. I did not, however, get a chance to form words.

Trunks looked over the mayor's shoulder to see me and then practically reached around the mayor to grab my arm and nearly yank me out of my shoes. "Well we can't have that!" he said with a rakish grin. "What were you doing all by yourself over there, panny-chan?" he asked me.

"Oh, you know one another!" The mayor seemed immensely pleased with himself, while the forgotten professor stood to the side, a slight look of confusion on his face. "Splendid!"

My smile was more of a baring of teeth designed to keep all males at bay. It didn't work, unfortunately.

"I'll just leave you two young people here to catch up, then! Come along, professor, you must tell me where all my funding is going in your department. Oh, and how is dear Professor Cashew?"

The mayor clasped the unfortunate man on his arm and led him towards the middle of the room. I didn't tell the mayor that there really was no catching up for Trunks and I to do, as we had last seen each other only six days ago, after Bulma's dinner. Oh, hell, maybe we did have a lot to talk about, but not then, when I doubted Trunks' complete sobriety; that smile contained far too many teeth.

"Sitting all by yourself, Panny-chan?" Trunks asked as a growl grew deep in my throat. "Where _did_ your date run off to?"

"I didn't bring one," I answered, rolling my eyes. "Yes, I know it's practically illegal to come to the Orchid **B**all without a date, but, you know, needs must and all that." I looked in a discreet circle. "And where is your date?"

"I'm afraid we both broke the most important rule of the Orchid Ball, as I have also come stag!" he said with drama, before taking a swig of his champagne.

"Did you, now?" I asked before taking a drink of my own. "And how many glasses of champagne have you had, if I may ask?"

Trunks gave me the evil eye for a moment before answering. "Not enough to impede the decision-making process, if that's what you're asking. I'm just genuinely having a good time, actually."

"I'm glad one of us is. Here's to both of us having fun." I said before I again downed the rest of my glass in one gulp. "I love champagne!"

Trunks blinked for a moment before smiling. "Hey, what are these functions for if not an open bar?"

"Amen to that," I grinned up at him, already feeling the effects of three glasses of champagne and no food. "And now I must remove myself to the bar area, once again."

He raised his eyebrow at me, teasingly. "Again? And just how many drinks would this be?"

"This will only be number four, thank you very much!" I replied tartly.

"Well, I'm looking forward to number five, myself, so I think I'll join you."

As we made our way through the crowd Trunks placed his hand lightly on the small of my back, fingertips barely brushing the area where skin met cloth in a dramatic U-shaped dip. The champagne and the hand caused my stomach to clench excitedly and my lungs to struggle to breathe. I couldn't help but feel like the biggest jerk ever. This man was someone I had known all my life, someone I had fought with, laughed with, someone who was my friend. I wasn't stupid and I didn't feel like lying to myself with so much alcohol coursing through my veins. I was attracted to him – so very, very attracted to him. I wanted to feel his hands on my skin, in my hair, in my own hands, everything. I wanted his mouth on mine, his lips moving against mine… No, bad thoughts, I told myself as we got closer to the bar.

I smiled as we came up to the attractive bartender. He smiled back at me and I knew at once that he remembered me.

"Already finished your champagne?" he asked teasingly. I wasn't about to tell him that I had gone through two since the last time I saw him, not one. Hey, no one wants to look like a lush.

"Afraid so." I held up my flute. "And I think I need another. Need to spice up the party, you know?" I asked with a wink.

He laughed and took my glass, barely touching my fingertips with his own.

"And one for me, too, if you aren't too busy," Trunks said sarcastically from behind me. I smiled tightly in embarrassment at the bartender before turning around to frown at Trunks, the excitement in my stomach warring with a kind of annoyance.

"So, where's your girlfriend? Couldn't make it tonight?" I asked, my tone light but the question an obvious jab. To be completely truthful I was more excited by his tone with the bartender than annoyed, but I knew that my typical response to such blatant territoriality would be annoyance. The fact that he didn't want other men flirting with me made me want to wrap my legs around him and give him the best kiss my pathetic love-life had to offer. However, even though I did have a quick succession of three drinks in my system, I did know that he could be reacting in a brotherly fashion to the flirtatious exchange.

"Elizabeth and I broke it off."

I swung around and rested my back against the bar, my hands supporting me. I looked up into his face and remembered how close he had been to me last Saturday, his breath against my mouth, his hair brushing my face. "Wh-what?"

"Last Saturday." He looked down at me, and I realized that he was trapping me between himself and the bar, however unintentionally. I couldn't look away from his blue eyes.

"Saturday…" I breathed. "But that was the day we… spoke." I couldn't help but say, and then blushed. I wouldn't have said something so obviously desperate had I been in complete control of my faculties. He just looked down at me and nodded.

I twirled around once again and lifted a glass of champagne off the bar to cover up my embarrassment, however small it was. Then I did the only thing I could think to do in the situation, and tipped the glass up to my mouth to drink half of the liquid it held. I turned and faced Trunks once again, then moved as if to go to my right to walk around him. However his left hand shot out, effectively stopping me. I looked at him questioningly, and he just smiled as he used that hand to grasp the second flute of champagne that was sitting on the bar, and then retracted it. He used his right hand to make a sweeping motion. Ladies first, I suppose.

"Well, I'm happy that you finally made a decision," I finally said. "How'd she take it?"

"She's fine. She's the really independent type, I suppose. We said good-bye, went our separate ways, the end." His answer was short, but not due to any emotional turmoil. It seemed his relationships ended like mine, no fuss, no muss.

"Huh," was the only answer I could think to give.

Guests were beginning to make their ways to their tables in preparation for the dinner portion of the night, and so Trunks and I began to make our way towards the tables.

"Which table are you?" I asked as we hit the parquet floors that signified the beginning of the dining area.

"Table 2," he answered with a grin. "You know, important, but not important enough."

"Me too," I told him with a matching smile. "Now we can be, like, totally BFFs!" I said jokingly, imitating some of the older girls at the school.

"Awesome," he joked back, wrapping an arm around my waist.

I sucked in a quick, shocked breath, and knew that he could feel it. I was acting so _stupid_. We touch all the time. We slept in the same bed, for goodness sake. It didn't make a difference to my traitorous body. Trunks' touch was affecting me like an electrical shock, and there was nothing I could do about it.

He pulled out my chair for me and slid it back underneath me as I sat, then took his name-card from the other side of the table, where I hadn't seen it, and switched it with the card on the plate next to mine. He then sat down, and turned to me. I couldn't help but giggle.

"I hope the poor person whose name you moved doesn't get confused."

Trunks snorted. "I just moved the card, it's not that hard a concept to get a hold of, is it?"

"I guess not," I answered, breathing faster because of his nearness.

Other people began filling in the seats at our and all the other tables as I thought over my body's reaction. It was probably the combination of a few factors, I thought; the champagne, the party atmosphere, the sexy dress and shoes, the almost-kiss of a week ago. I had thought on that kiss many times through the course of the past week and had very nearly convinced myself that it would have been a real, mouths-meeting kind of kiss had we not been hampered by the invisible presence of his then-girlfriend.

I breathed in deeply and let it out in a big sigh. I would not make stupid mistakes, I told myself. Trunks looked over and raised an eyebrow, once again.

"Problems?" he asked, referring to the sigh.

I smiled sweetly, covering up the fact that he was the reason. "Just my shoes," I said, pulling one leg out from under the table and sweeping it out in front of him, the material falling away from my appendage due to a deep slit cut into the side. I pointed to the shoe, in reality just showing off my favorite part of my outfit as the jewels on the straps glimmered in the low lighting of the ballroom's dining area.

I noted, with a bit of surprise, that his eyes widened as my leg was revealed, and then traveled up the entire length of my leg and back down again. He sucked in a quick breath of his own and for a moment his eyes seemed to glaze over. I titled my head inquiringly.

"Trunks?" I asked carefully.

He blinked, clearing his gaze quickly. I pretended not to notice as I swept my hand up my leg, as if to reposition my skirt as I returned to my original position. I didn't look at him to gauge his reaction. I was quiet for a moment as I pondered his response. For some reason it had never occurred to me that I could affect him like he was affecting me. His proximity tonight in this intimate atmosphere was practically sending me into a tailspin, and I wondered if I could do the same to him; if I should do the same to him.

I'm not sure at what point I decided to dismiss the repercussions this could have on our relationship as close friends – possibly around that fourth glass of champagne – but I really wasn't thinking about that at all as the night progressed and I tried out my newfound power over him. Turnabout is fair play, I always say, and he had been doing it to me all night. I knew, just _knew_ that he had been doing it purposefully ever since we first saw each other at the Orchid Ball.

We were served dinner and dessert as well as more champagne and wine, lived through some boring speeches and awkward small talk with the other people sitting at our table, and then were set free to commence the dancing portion of the evening. That's just how these things go: schmoozing, eating, talking, and dancing. I, for one, love dancing, even though I'm terrible at it. Due to my unfortunate dancing abilities I almost never even move back out of my seat after the dinner portion of the night. However, Trunks was not going to let me sit back and watch other people dance all night. After the night wore on for a while he pulled me out onto the floor as I laughed my refusals.

He pulled me up close to his body as I moved into the formation for the song. My champagne, though long gone, had done its magic, and I didn't rebuff him too much before falling into the steps. As he used his hand against my back to press our bodies closer together I smiled against his chest. He had to know what he was doing to me, he had to be doing this on purpose, at least a little.

As the dance went on I ended up with my head tucked into the right curve of his neck, my left hand resting on his upper back, his arm under mine curving around my lower back. My right arm was resting elbow to his shoulder, and lazily extended behind him. I slowly drew my hand inwards and rested my fingertips air-lightly against the short hairs on the lower part of his neck. I tilted my head deeper into his neck and breathed in his scent slowly, then let my breath back out my mouth so it passed over his collarbone.

His scent was what had me resting, so pliable, in his arms. I'm not sure if it's all women or only me, due to my saiya-jin heritage, but the way a man smelled rated high in the reasons for attraction. And let me say, Trunks was the best smelling man I had come across in my life, and I don't know why I hadn't noticed it before.

I decided to test out my own powers of attraction over him as the dance progressed. I let my fingers lightly swipe over the hair at the base of his head, brushing them ever so slightly, and then acted as if my fingers were working on their own accord. I could feel the movement of his head as he slightly moved into the caress. In response I tilted my head up, moving my forehead away from his neck and my lips into closer contact with his skin. I barely let them move across his neck before tilting my head back to its original position, all the while brushing across his hair with my fingers. I couldn't do anything more blatant at the Orchid Ball. I certainly didn't need it getting back to my family that I turned the time-honored party into a high school dance. As it was I was lucky my parents had decided not to attend this year.

For a few moments I thought that my actions were actually unnoticed by my handsome dance partner. I let my hand return to its lazy position behind Trunks before I felt the hand on the small of my back drift upwards from its position on the cloth of my dress to the bare skin of my back. His light fingertips traced my spine all the way to the base of my neck and back down, before coming to rest higher than before on my skin. A couple of fingertips slid further down, stopping dangerously just inside of my dress, rather than on top of it. I couldn't help but shiver in response to his fingers on my spine.

My heart slammed almost painfully against my ribcage and I'm sure my breath came out faster than before against his collarbone. I half-hoped he could feel it through his shirt. He then moved his other hand, palm flat against my back, all the way up and into my hair. I felt his fingers against my head as my silky hair fell through them. I felt the motion of his head and the movement of air as he breathed in the scent of my hair. My left hand, which had been pretty much stationary against his back up until this point, unintentionally clenched, pulling his shirt into my hand. My chest moved against his, pushing itself upwards to come more closely into contact with him.

His hand on the small of my back pulled me in closer to him as he whispered into my hair, "What are we doing?"

"I don't know," I whispered back slightly shaking my head, though my hair was still gently caught in his grip. "I really don't know."

The song was winding down and I extracted myself from him, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. I needed a little bit of space to clear my head. I knew that I'd never have had the courage to do such a thing without being influenced by the alcohol. I wasn't drunk, not nearly, or even tipsy, just slightly uninhibited.

Trunks took my hand and led me back to my seat at our table, which I turned around so I could watch the people dance. He pulled his chair out and flipped it to match mine, then brought it so close to me that when he sat our upper legs were flush against each other. He didn't let go of my hand, instead rested them against his leg. I didn't fight to free myself.

For a moment we didn't say anything, and I was glad, it helped me to piece my thoughts together. "Was it the champagne?" I asked him, deciding that it would be ridiculous to play this off or ignore it.

"No, and I certainly didn't have any champagne last weekend," he answered. I looked at him questioningly. "I wanted to kiss you, then."

I smiled at my lap. "You did kiss me."

He smiled back at me and leaned over me, placing his free hand on the curve of my waist. "Not like I wanted to."

His teasing smile and words caused me to laugh, but soon I stopped and my smile faded. I bit my lip. "I think it's time that I went home. I can't do late nights so much, anymore."

Trunks nodded and stood, helping me to my feet with the hand he still held in his own. When we reached the foyer to the mayor's mansion I retrieved my wrap and purse from the coat check as Trunks stood by, looking outrageously wonderful in his formalwear. He was one of the few men that wore a tuxedo, rather than looking uncomfortable, as if it wore him. He walked outside with me and I pulled out my ticket for the valet, who then trotted off to find my car.

"You can give me a ride home, then," Trunks said out of the blue.

For a moment my mouth worked, but I didn't say anything. "But what about your car?"

"I'll come back and get it later. You've had less to drink than me, remember?" It was true that I hadn't had anything to drink for a few hours, and that he had, however I'm pretty sure that his drink was metabolized as fast as his food was, as he was a sayia-jin. However, I didn't call him on it, but simply shrugged my shoulders.

"Sure, anything to help out a friend." I pulled my short diaphanous wrap more closely around my shoulders, trying to cover the goosebumps that had risen there, partially due to the cold and partially due to his proximity.

Trunks narrowed his eyes in my direction. "You cold?" he asked me.

"I'm okay, the car will be here soon," I replied, squinting into the darkness at the area the valet had disappeared into.

"Here," he told me, shrugging his jacket off of his shoulders. He placed it over my own shoulders before I could protest, and arranged it so it would stay perched there without my arms through the arms of the jacket.

"Thanks," I whispered, smiling up at him, pulling the jack closer around me. Everytime I moved the coat his scent washed over me along with waves of warmth.

For a moment we didn't move from our spots, and then he slowly grasped the lapels of his jacket, pulling me slowly closer to him. My body allowed me to be pulled up against him, and I could feel his hands on the jacket, pressed between us both. He turned his head slightly to the left and leaned down. I met him half way, rising up on the tips of my toes, and we kissed, there in the dark of the night, waiting for the valet to return.

Our lips were motionless for a moment, and for a split second it was like I had forgotten how to kiss, like I didn't know what to do, and then it was as if nature took over. Our mouths moved against one another, and I opened my mouth slightly at the same time as my arms came up to circle around his neck. His hands moved from his jacket to around my waist and pulled me up against him. I licked his lower lip before moving into his mouth, where he met me. I couldn't help but move my fingers up into his hair in order to hold his head against mine as we kissed. My foot hooked itself around his ankle on its own accord.

We moved our faces apart when we heard the sound of a car approaching, but I kept my arms around him for a moment longer. His hands were splayed across my shoulder blades, keeping my chest in close contact with his. Before my car appeared he leaned over and quickly pressed his lips to mine one more time. I stood motionless for a split second after he released me, but then bent down to pick up his jacket from where it had fallen on the concrete. This time I looped my arms through it and then brought it to my face to take a deep breath of its scent as my car pulled up. Trunks shot me an amused grin but I only shrugged back as the valet gave me my keys.

We climbed into our respective sides and when I moved to get comfortable I had to take the middle portion of my dress, between the slits, and throw it over my leg so that it didn't get in the way of my driving. I saw Trunks eyeing the bare expanse of my leg and desperately wanted him to simply reach out and rest his hand on the space above my knee. However he was too much of a gentleman, I suppose, and so only grabbed my free hand, brought it to his mouth and kissed the back of it before letting go.

I returned both hands to the wheel and let out a shuddering breath. "And we're off," I said, not sure if I was talking about driving or not. Trunks grinned back at me, and I put the car into drive.

The drive back we talked about little things, like the party, my dress, our rations of instant ramen, but we didn't mention our families or the future, or what this was all about. Finally I pulled up in front of his house and put the car in park without turning off the engine. There was no way in hell I was going to spend the night at Trunks' tonight. It had been innocent before, but I doubted it would stay that way if I even had the intention to sleep in the guest room.

Trunks reached his hand towards the door latch, but at the last moment dropped it. He turned towards me again and released his seatbelt. "I'm going to kiss you again," he told me, looking seriously into my eyes.

I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him towards me while leaning over the center consul. Our mouths met in much the same way as before, hot breath and soft mouths, making my head spin. I clutched harder to his shoulders as the kiss went on. My mouth clashed against his, we pulled away and right away came back together. I nibbled lightly on his lower lip as he slid his arm around me, and I couldn't help myself. I pulled away for a moment and pulled myself up on the seat so I could climb over the consul and straddle his lap.

His breaths were uneven as I repositioned myself over him and returned my mouth to his. I cupped his face with my hands kissing him lightly, pulling away and kissing again, teasing little kisses. I sat down fully on his knees and scooted forward. Trunks pulled me up as close to him as he could get me, the friction of our bodies making me gasp. He leaned down and kissed my neck, and I let out what must have been a quiet little moan, making him laugh a little evilly. He returned to my neck and for some reason I couldn't get enough, and held his head close against my neck as his lips and teeth swept across it. Finally we returned to kissing, our breaths short and forced.

When we broke apart I slid bonelessly down his body to rest my cheek against his chest. He rested his chin against the top of my head for a moment before I sighed a little and opened the door. As I crawled out I felt Trunks' breath speed up and his hand slide across my back. He followed me out of the car and we stood there for a moment.

"Do you…" he trailed off and looked over at my still running car. "I guess I'm going to try to go to sleep now." He laughed at little at himself and it sounded somewhat mocking.

"Me too, I guess." I really didn't think that I was going to get any sleep tonight.

"Well, then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," he said as he slowly slid his arms around me one last time.

I put my hands on his chest and looked up at him. "You will?" I asked.

"I will," he nodded. "I'm totally out of groceries, you know, and I just can't do these things by myself."

"And this means I have to help you, huh?"

"Mmhmm," he murmured, his face inching closer to mine.

"Did I ever tell you," I began, "how much I absolutely love that grocery store?"

"Oh, really?" he asked, and then kissed me lightly.

"Really," I said, and received another kiss for my trouble. "They have some really great tabloid papers there," I said grinning.

Trunks blinked. "What?"

I raised myself up on my toes and kissed him, this time, before breaking away. "G'night, Trunks."

"Good night, Panny-chan," he whispered, rubbing a lock of my hair between his index finger and thumb. "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," I answered with a soft smile.

I pulled away completely and walked around my car to get in the driver's side. This time he was the one who watched as I drove away.

A/N – okay, wow, that was a lot of citrus-y interaction (I think maybe that would be classified as an… orange? It wasn't even into the lime category, I'm sure). Please let me know if it was utterly terrible. While I was writing it I kept mumbling to myself that it sounded like crap, haha ''


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